Timeless Memories
by VioletMoonlights
Summary: What if Chrono met a girl before Rosette and Magdalene? What if not just Jewel Summoners, but other Summoners existed too? What if another demon entered the group? Only memories will tell.
1. Memories

Timeless Memories

Chapter 1 Memories

* * *

Hello, my name is Marie Isabelle Jansen. The story that I'm about to tell you should never be told, for it contains many memories of ones who faced short lived happiness and many tragedies in their lives. Do you still wish to hear it? It all began when a boy met a girl, when a demon met an angel, and that they didn't care how different they were.

* * *

"Come on, Chrono!" The impatient Rosette yelled at the top of her lungs. She was outside the Magdalene Order's main building, leaning her back on the side of her Model T car.

"Geez, what's taking him so long? He's never been late before." Rosette complained while making a pouty face.

"I'm coming!" A soft male voice called out in the distance. The little demon Chrono rushed down the steps of a Magdalene Order building and to the vehicle that Rosette was by. He went to the back and opened the trunk to place his heavy weapon supplies pack in there. After closing it, Rosette stomped angry at him.

"What?" Chrono asked her. "You took forever in there! Next time when you run this late, I'll go right in there and force you in the car, ready or not!" Rosette yelled at Chrono.

"Sorry Rosette…" Chrono said innocently. "I had to do something before I left."

"Like what?" Rosette crossed her arms and tapped her right foot while waiting for Chrono's response.

"What are you a police officer?! I just had to do something is all!" Chrono yelled at her.

"Alright! Alright! Geez…you're worse than Joshua most of the time." Then Rosette froze, thinking back on a memory when she last saw her little brother. "I will find you Joshua….and I'll make that demon pay of what he has done to you….Joshua…" She whispered.

"Rosette, I'm sorry. If I haven't made you mad then—

"I'll be fine, Chrono…don't worry about me, okay?" Rosette said interrupting Chrono. "We'll find him. After all we made a pact, right?" She winked. Chrono slowly smiled.

"Yeah…" then he frowned again. After their conversation, Rosette and Chrono got into the Model T as Rosette started the engine, and then drove out of the entrance of the Magdalene Order.

"Yes! Now we are out of that prison!" Rosette cheered with glee.

"So what's the mission today, Rosette?" Chrono looked over and asked his blonde companion. Rosette turned tense while she drove.

"Umm…we don't have a mission today."

"Huh? Then why are we out here?" Chrono questioned again.

"Let's just say we are taking a little road trip together. I'm so fed up with Sister Kate lately that I want to have a chance to free my mind from doing chores all the time!" Rosette growled while looking at the road.

"What! Do you have any idea of what Sister Kate is going to do to you once we get back? There can be worse consequences!" Chrono tried to drive some sense into her, but she continued to scowl at the road.

"Chrono, I bet Sister Kate gave me every possible punishment on her list. I doubt there could be even worse ones. Also, doing missions every single day are becoming a killer! I mean, can we at least take a week off and enjoy each other's company? When was the last time you had the time to relax?"

"I don't recall, but Rosette—

"Look at the other Sisters at the Order! They have some days off, after what I heard from Sister Claire, and look at us! We work our butts off doing this and…"

While Rosette continued babbling and complaining, Chrono slumped down in the passenger seat and watched the skyscrapers and buildings of New York City pass by. A minute later, his eyelids drooped down and feel asleep.

* * *

"We're here!" Rosette yelled as she drove along a dirt road, satisfied of the peaceful area she drove to. In two days, Rosette managed to drive from the populated state of New York to the edge of the countryside state of Missouri. It wasn't her intention of driving this far away, but the mental pictures of being bombarded with chores, missions, and Sister Kate's raging face kept her going.

Of course she was going to have to deal with an even more frustrated Kate after her little vacation ends, but she and Chrono haven't had a day off in five months! Then again, maybe the reason why they haven't had a day off is that all convents' cars and several old buildings have been completely demolished by her doing. Rosette shook her head.

"I deserve this. I know I made a lot of screw ups, but the demons were destroyed in the end, right? Chrono and I deserve a few days to ourselves."

Rosette pulled over to the right side of the dirt road and parked the car. Ready to wake up Chrono out of one of his countless cat naps during the trip, Rosette looked ahead of his car window. Her eyes widened at the breathtaking beauty of the scenery beyond the sheet of glass. She excitedly shook Chrono.

"Huh? What Rosette!" Chrono woke up in surprise and a hint of anger.

"Chrono, you can doze another time! Just look out your window! I haven't seen anything in nature that is so gorgeous!" she said.

Chrono sat up and looked out his car window. There, he saw millions of daisies in a nearby field and a hill that a full bloomed apple tree stood alone right above the small white flowers. In the distance, there was a small running creek by a forest that spread from the left to right, going on forever. Chrono touched his window and stared. His eyes opened more widely as memories of this place flashed quickly in his mind.

Without hesitation, Chrono quickly got out of the Model T and ran down to the daisy field. Thunder rumbled overhead as he glanced up to see heavy darkened rainclouds. A strong gust of wind blew from the west shortly afterwards that made petals from the apple tree fall and the daisies dance wildly around him. Looking up ahead, Chrono saw an illusion of girl with short brown hair and light green eyes. She wore a beautifully, but torn-up beige dress that moved along with the wind. She gently smiled at him.

"Marie..?" Chrono whispered. He walked closely to her while holding out his hand, while the illusion of the girl did the same. While Chrono was close to touching her hand, Rosette yelled out his name in the distance.

Chrono glanced back to see Rosette running to him, and then back to the illusion of Marie. She wasn't there anymore. Chrono stood there or a minute and stared at the nothingness ahead sorrowfully, and then gazed at his hand that was about to grab girl's hand with. He looked at it for a few seconds, and then angrily gripped. He fell in the garden of daisies while ripping a few in frustration.

_I promised that I will protect you…_

Memories of snow, a contract, and his true form embracing the girl flashed in his mind.

_Then Aion came…_

Memories of fire, a white demon's scowl, and blood flashed in his mind.

_I wanted you to be by my side, to escape my own sin…_

Memories of playing, cheerful laughter, and smiles from him and the girl flashed in his mind.

_I wanted you happy…_

Memories of sorrow, tears, and pain from the girl flashed in his mind.

_But, you're not here anymore… _

Memories of a painful cry, a pool of blood, and a slowly ending pulse from the girl flashed in his mind.

_You're only painted in my memories._

Memories of bandages, warmth, and touch from the girl flashed in his mind.

"Chrono, what happened?" Rosette finally approached Chrono with a look of apprehension. She heard soft sniffs and sobs coming from her demon partner.

"Leave me be." Chrono spoke as he got up as he walked towards the creek and the forest close by.

"Chrono…" Rosette whispered.

* * *

Time flew by after Chrono went out for a walk by himself. The storm clouds passed by, and now a warm colored sunset was painted across the sky. Chrono returned five hours later after Rosette made a warm fire close by the apple tree. She was about to greet him until the little devil turned the other way and sat under the apple tree overlooking the daisy meadow. He crossed his arms and hid his distressed face. More worried than before, the nun got up and sat next to Chrono under the tree.

"Chrono, can you please tell me what's wrong? All day you have been wondering around by yourself. Is there something about this place that is making you feel this way? I'm worried about you."

Rosette waited for Chrono to respond but he sat there in the same position. He was thinking of what to say to Rosette. Seconds later, he raised his head and looked at his partner.

"This is the place where my first pleasant memories began. There was a girl I met here before I met you and Mary Magdalene. Her name was Marie. She was very kind and she tended my wounds when I first met her. She is the reason why I am here today." Chrono smiled.

"Would it be alright if you told me the story of you and her? I want to hear it." Rosette asked while smiling back at him, happy that Chrono had a smile on his face again. The little demon thought about it.

"Yeah." Chrono said. "It all started when the Sinners and I broke free from Pandemonium…" Chrono looked ahead while a gust of wind brushed through his amethyst hair.


	2. Marie

Chapter 2 Marie

Chapter 2 Marie

In Missouri in the 1850s lived a girl named Marie Jansen. She was only 13 years old when she first met Chrono. Before she met him, however, she was very shy and timid. But after, she began to open up out of her shyness. She and Chrono spent one year together, but after Marie died, more and more terrible and sorrowful events happened in the near future. This is where it ALL began. When a boy met a girl, when demon met an angel, when darkness met light…..

"I'm going outside, Mother! I'll be back to make you supper later, alright!?" Marie yelled at her entrance of her house. "Alright! Be safe dear!" Her mother yelled while she was upstairs. Marie smiled and gently closed the door.

Marie walked down the walkway to her home and went left towards the daisy field. As she got there, she walked to the middle of the field and crouched down and picked some daisies off from the field. She smiled. "This might make mother happy, after all daisies are the "happy" flower. This might cheer her up after the illness she'd had for 2 years."

After Marie gotten enough, she'd gotten up and begun to walk back. As she'd walked back she saw red drops on the daisies she'd walked past. Concerned, she bent down and studied them. "What with these red drops?..." Marie looked closely.

"It looks like…blood…but why is there blood on..." Marie heard groaning ahead. She quickly got up and walked ahead, getting close to the source of the groan. Then Marie stood in shock. There, by the daisy field was a demon. He was all covered in wounds and blood and he painfully groaned some more. Marie stared at the demon she dropped the daisies of which she'd held and walked to the demon slowly. As she got to the point that she was close, the demon opened his amber eyes and looked at her.

"Leave me alone…." He said. "I'm about to die anyways so just leave me….there is nothing you can do to save me." Marie looked at what the demon said to her and then she looked into his eyes, full of sorrow and innocents. She went by and crouched beside him.

"Don't say such things; if you die then you will give up the rest of your life ahead of you." Marie said to the demon as she softly touched his head. "I'm a demon…I have no life ahead of me. I will rather die than just live here." The demon softly said to her. "But to me you look like a demon that would rather protect than fight." Marie said while she grabbed her dress. "How can you tell?" The demon asked her.

"I can tell by your gentle eyes, and the softness of your voice." Marie ripped her end of dress and she collected the cloth pieces. Then she wrapped the cloth around the demon's wounds. "Why? Why are you doing this?" The demon asked her again. "Because, I can't stand to see people suffer, even if they are humans or demons. But if demon I can tell if they done something good or bad and you're not the type to do anything bad…I can tell." Marie gently smiled at the demon.

After Marie was done wrapping around the demon's last wound she smiled at him again and went back and grabbed her daisies, that she was about to give her mother. Then Marie went toward to her direction of her town, Hillsboro, to her home. And she pretended that she'd done nothing along her way there.

"I wonder if he's here today?" Marie said to herself. Three days past sinced the incident. Marie walked by the daisy garden in the same place the demon was lying. But he wasn't there. Marie sighed and looked ahead, seeing nothing ahead of her.

"Well….I guess he's alright sinced I treated his wounds. And I really want to see him again." Marie sighed. Then something touched her shoulder and Marie twitched behind her to see who it was.

It was boy like her age. He had long dark purple hair tied to a ponytail and wore a torn up poncho that was covering his clothing that he wore underneath. Also he wore a headband and he had light maroon eyes. The boy gave a little smile to Marie. All Marie did was staring, she looked into the boy's light maroon eyes and they had the same gentleness as the demon the other day.

"Wait…are you the demon I saved the other day?" Marie asked him. The boy did a little smile and nodded. "Yes, I came by to say thanks. And I'm greatly honored." He said. Marie stared confused.

"Wow…I thought that you didn't want to help you." Marie said. "Well….I was really mad and hurt that I just want nobody to talk to me. But I did really need help, thanks to you…you helped me after all those words I said about leaving me alone." Marie stared at the demon boy still. "I got another question. Why are you like this? Your soo small…" Marie asked him.

"I'm like this soo I won't waste that much energy. Plus I don't want to scare you when I'm in my true demonic form…" Marie nodded "Hmm…mm…I see." Marie turned and looked at the sunset beyond the forest and her town.

"I'm sorry…but I have to go now. My mother needs me. After all, she doesn't feel well." Marie slowly smiled at the demon boy. Then she began to walk off. "No wait!" the demon boy yelled to her. He catched up to her and grabbed her hand.

"What?" Marie asked him as the demon boy let go of her hand. "You saved my life. And I haven't returned you a favor yet. I'll feel guilty if I haven't done something for you." Marie looked at him confused. "Like what? I don't want anything, I'm just happy that your ok is all." She explained.

The boy looked at her again with a sad face. Marie closed her eyes and thought. "Are you going to be here every day?" she asked the boy. The boy thought and nodded slowly. "Well maybe we can spend time together." Marie smiled.

"To me you look like a good guy to talk to and be friends with." Marie continued smiling. "By the way, what's your name?" the boy asked her. "My name is Marie, what's yours?" Marie asked him. "Chrono…so I guess I'll wait for you tomorrow?" Chrono shortly smiled. "Yep…see you around then."

Marie smiled as she walked away to her town. And Chrono stood there and watched her walk away into the sunset.


	3. Pasts

Chapter 3 Pasts

Chapter 3 Pasts

It was dawn, Chrono sat against the blooming apple tree that was on the hill beside the daisy field. He sat and watched as the sun behind him rose up and touched the daisies in front of him. While he did, he thought to himself.

"I'm positive that Aion won't find me in awhile…after all, I traveled a long way from here. But one of these days he'll find me…I no longer want to be a sinner." Suddenly Chrono heard footsteps running closer and closer to him in the distance.

"Chrono!" a female voice called to him. Chrono looked ahead and saw Marie running to him while carring a basket. "Hey!" Chrono responded. As Marie gotten up to him she handed over the basket to him. "Here." Marie said. "As I can tell by your torned-up clothing, you must of traveled far from here." She smiled.

"Wow...I wasn't expecting for you to do something like this for me. Thank you." Chrono said surprised. Chrono opened the basket and looked at the food inside. He took out a piece of bread inside and begun to eat it. While he ate, he looked back at Marie, who was smiling ahead and watched the daisies below her as they blew in the wind. She was not worried or scared at all.

"I got a question to ask you…" Chrono said to Marie while she turned towards him. "Are you scared of me?" Marie stared blankly at him at the question he'd asked her. "No….why would you ask that?" Marie said confused at him.

"Well, I' am a demon, and it's unusual for a human like you who would help me and sit by me. And when humans do see me they would just scream and run." Chrono explained to her. Marie looked at him for a moment and giggled a little.

"Well maybe it's because now you look like a 13 year-old boy and not doing frightful. Plus in your demonic form, you didn't scare me." Marie said. "That's because I was injured…" Chrono said admitting.

"Yeah so?" Marie said staring at him. "Plus if I've see you right now in your true form, I still wouldn't get scared." Marie said while she smiled and closed her eyes. "Is THAT a challenge!?" Chrono said to her annoyed.

"I'm just saying…" Marie said while waving her hands, to make him stop. Chrono got more annoyed and stood up inches from her while darkness swirled around him. "Ready for this?" Chrono asked Marie.

"Sure why not? You didn't have to prove me y'know." She mumbled under her breath.

Then Chrono turned into his true demonic form, like when Marie saw him when he was lying on the ground. He was big, looked like he was in his 20s, he had short dark purple hair (the same with his smaller form) had two white horns, he had long ears, amber eyes (like before), he had a long torned dark maroon cape, a flexible blade that came from his purple hair, metal shields on his arms, and long claws, and darkened boots and pants. Marie stared at him normally, not a sense of fear. She sighed.

"I think you looked fascinating, but not scary. I think you've found the only girl in this whole world who isn't afraid of demons." Marie shortly giggled. "Well how about this?" Chrono said while he bent down and got close to her face and made a scary look. Marie looked at him and laughed.

"Haha...That's the funniest look I saw in my life!" She continued to laugh at him. Chrono stared at her and sighed. "Wow, I never seened the day that somebody like you who would laugh at my scary emotion." Marie continued to laugh. "You're not scared of me, are you?" Chrono asked hopeless. "Nope!" Marie proudly admitted. Chrono got up and changed back into his smaller form and sat by Marie again.

"Tell me why you're not scared of demons." Chrono asked. Marie's smile turned into a sad frown.

"It happened 2 years ago. I used to live in Chicago, me my older brother, Peter, and my parents were born there. After my dad lost his job, he decided that we should move so he'll find a job further west, in Missouri. While we traveled there one night along with other people, or settlers that wanted to move west also, demons popped out of the ground and begun slaying everyone who was traveling. My father and my brother told me and my mother to leave. While they would fight back and distract the demons while we ran away. As me and my mother ran away, I looked back and saw my brother stabbed by a demon all dressed in white. I ran back to help him but the demon in white spotted me and my mother, who was trying to get me back. Then the most bizarre thing happened. A demon grabbed me and my mother, and he took us far away from the other demons. And he took us closely to St. Louis and landed us there. It was dark and I couldn't see his face, but at least he helped us. But anyways, that's why I'm not scared of demons. I know what horror they bring to us humans, even though most of the demons in this world are pure evil, but I do know that all of them are not bad. Like the one who saved me and my mother."

Chrono looked at Marie of what she'd told him. He remembered that night, that night when the sinners had broke free from pandemonium, the demon world. And on that night Aion (the leader of the sinners) told all the 7 remaining sinners to kill the settlers who were blocking their way. Or what Aion meant a celebration. He, Chrono, was the only one who didn't do such a cruel thing. But as he stared in horror he saw a little girl running to her corpse brother. The one that Aion first slained.

But as Aion saw her and was about to have her in his hands, He dashed in and grabbed her and her mother to safety. Ignoring Aion's cruel orders. Chrono blushed and turned his head away from Marie. "What is it?" Marie asked worried.

"It's nothing." Chrono said quickly. Marie stared and smiled at him. "Your hiding something are you?" Chrono looked back at her embarrassed, while still blushing.

"The attitude, that voice, you're the demon who saved us." Marie smiled still. "Thank you." She said softly. "Umm it was nothing…not that big of a deal." Chrono said while there was a long period of silence. "Well sense I got my past covered, let me hear of yours." Marie asked Chrono. Chrono sat there while he closed his eyes and thought.

"My past…" he started. "…It like being in a nightmare all of my life. It started when Aion, the leader of the sinners, asked me to become free from pandemonium, the demon world. You see, there are two types of demons here in this world. Sinners, the one who want to change pandemonium, and the Pursuers, the ones who want it to stay the same and also want to hunt us down. After I agreed with Aion (the sinner leader), we made a secret system to get out of pandemonium and to earth. But before we done that, Aion cutted off pandemonium's head that was in the core, so the pursuers won't get it to protect it from us. And while we traveled….."

Then there was silence. "You don't have to talk about it anymore, as I can tell, you had a rough life." Marie sighed. "….like the same as me." She frowned. Chrono sighed and frowned as well. "I used to be sinner, but it wasn't my destiny to do cruel things to people. Not now….not ever." He said.

"Then what IS your destiny?" Marie asked him. Chrono looked at her, unsure of himself. "I don't know." He sighed. "I know." Marie smiled while she closed her eyes and held her head up high. "What?" Chrono wanted to know. Then again there was silence. "Your destiny is…….beating me at the bottom!" Marie yelled out.

She sprinted off the apple tree that she was leaning against and ran to the middle of the daisy field. She looked back if Chrono was racing her, but he wasn't. He just stood and looked at her confused.

"C'mon! You have to beat me!" Marie yelled and laughed. "Alright!" Chrono yelled back. And then he started chasing her around the field. "No, not chase! Race!" Marie explained as she ran and laughed. Chrono laughed.

"Haha...I think this is more fun!" And they continued to run around the field, while laughter filled the air.


	4. Time

Chapter 4 Time

"After that first day when we spend time together, Marie came and visited me every day. Me and her did a lot that year." Chrono smiled.

"Like what?" Rosette asked. "We played games together, chase each other around the daisy field, went fishing, sung songs, and we were tired we usually lay down in the field or by the tree relaxing. Chrono grinned.

"Huh, kind of like the stuff you, me and Joshua did when we were together, back 4 years ago." Rosette said and smiled while thinking back.

"Yeah….after all we did that summer, Marie gained trust from me and we were like best friends. And when autumn came, it was the best season that we've spent together." Chrono smiled again.

"Hello Chrono!" Marie yelled to him as she ran across the field again. "Hey Marie!" Chrono smiled at her while she came and sat by him by the red-leaved apple tree.

She looked down to the field she ran across on. Only grass covered the ground, no more daisies left. The autumn cold cleaned them all away. She sighed.

"What's wrong?" Chrono asked her. Marie sighed again. "It's nothing." Then she moved her legs to get into a comfortable spot. When she'd done that, she heard paper sounds. She searched through her dress pocket and got out a folded piece of paper.

"Here you go!" Marie said cheerfully while giving the folded paper piece to Chrono. He unfolded the paper and saw a beautifully colored painting of autumn trees with a sunset in the distance.

"Yesterday, after you told me that your favorite season was autumn, I painted a picture for you." Marie explained.

"Wow, Marie…." Chrono said shocked by the amazement of the picture. "I never knew you can draw or paint well, Thanks for the picture." Chrono said still amazed. "You're welcome." Marie smiled. Then there was a long period of silence but Marie broke it.

"Since we can't do much in the daisy field anymore, let's think of something to do, like singing." Marie said as a fast gust of autumn wind blew fastly on her face.

"My mom used to sing whenever she's doing something around the house, back then when we lived in Chicago." Marie opened her mouth to sing.

"Sparkling angel I believe  
You were my savior in my time of need.  
Blinded by faith I couldn't hear  
All the whispers, the warnings so clear.  
I see the angels,  
I'll lead them to your door.  
There's no escape now,  
No mercy no more.  
No remorse cause I still remember

The smile when you tore me apart.  
You took my heart,  
Deceived me right from the start.  
You showed me dreams,  
I wished they'd turn into real.  
You broke a promise and made me realize.  
It was all just a lie."

After Marie sang, she frowned. "It's a sad song, but whenever I was sad back then I always sing it. But my older brother Peter didn't like me singing that song. So back home he'll play a happy tune on his piano to make me happy again."

Marie slowly smiled but it faded again.

"My family is dying now, only my mother and I remain. And I have a feeling that my mother won't be living much longer, because of her illness. It just makes me feel….alone." Chrono looked at Marie sad. He never wanted Marie to feel this way, ever.

"C'mon, just don't think about it. Now, you were saying before you sang? Something to do?" Chrono said as his hair blew in the wind. He noticed it and he turned to his clothing and tore off a piece from his poncho, and he handed it to Marie.

"Huh? What's this for?" Marie asked him. "Do something to keep your mind off things, like tying my hair into a braid." Chrono said as he turned the opposite way from Marie. Then Chrono untied his band that kept his hair in a ponytail. Marie touched Chrono's soft silky purple hair and begun tying it into a braid. Step by step.

"Hey…" Chrono said to Marie while she was braiding. "Huh? Am I doing it wrong?" she panicked. "No, you're doing fine. I just want to give you some advice that I made up." Marie slowly braided and waited to listen.

"If you think about the bad times in your past, just don't. Just think about the good things in the past and you won't be sad from time to time. Just think good, even if the bad memories are still there. And keep moving forward and think of the good times you'll have then." Chrono said confident.

Marie smiled as he told her the advice and finished up his braid. At the end she tied it up with a huge bow from the cloth Chrono had given her. "There." Chrono sat back and grabbed and looked at the braid that Marie had done for him.

"Nice job. Thank you." He said to her. "Welcome." She responded. As they both continued with their conversation, a dark black bald eagle flew above and saw them. "Heh...heh…Chrono I finally found you." It whispered.


	5. Promise

Chapter 5 Promise

"Look Chrono, it started snowing!" Marie said while she and Chrono stood in the dead daisy field while the snowflakes danced as they fell

"Yeah." Chrono said as he thought. "It won't be long til _he _gets here. I better leave soon so he won't find me. But what about Marie? I can't just leave her here, and I care about her. What should I do? What canI do?" Chrono thought.

Then out of nowhere, a big wet snowball got slammed in his face. "Oww…what was that for!?" Chrono yelled and asked Marie. "Come on, Chrono, are you just going to stand there and fight back? You _are _a demon right?!" Marie teased him and laughed.

"Yeah I'll show you demon!" Chrono said as he grabbed some snow on the ground and made a wet mushy snowball and threw it at Marie. But Marie dodged and hit Chrono with another snowball. "No fair!" Chrono said and laughed.

As Marie went down and made another snowball, Chrono tackled her and they rolled down the short hill that the field was on. As they stopped rolling they laughed and stood up and wiped off the snow dust that was on them. "Heh…heh...I have to go home, Chrono. If I stay in this weather much longer, I might catch something." Marie said.

"Ok, see you tomorrow." He smiled. As Marie walked a few steps, she looked back and saw Chrono still standing there. She ran back and grabbed his hand. "Let's go to my place, I don't want you getting sick ether." Marie said while leading him. "Ok, fine by me." He responded.

"Alright, were here." Marie said as she opened the door to her house. Chrono and she walked in. And Marie closed the door behind. Chrono looked and examined her home. Even though he been here once, when he secretly took Marie home when she fell asleep on the daisy field while watching the clouds that summer. Chrono remembered and smiled.

"Sorry if this place is a mess." Marie said while folding her and her mother's clothes on a chair in the living room. Chrono chuckled a bit.

"It's alright." As Marie was done she went up the stairs that was one side of the house. "I'm going to check up on mother, you can come if you want to." Marie said to Chrono. "I'll come." he replied.

As they climbed up to the 2nd floor, there was a small room with a bed, a window, a nightstand with a lantern, inside a small flame. Marie and Chrono walked to the bed and saw Marie's mother lying still, sleeping.

"Hello Mother, are you feeling alright? I need to feel your temperature." Marie said to her. But her mother didn't move or respond. She continually to lay still with no movement at all.

"Mother, really…I have to feel your temperature." But Marie's mother still didn't move.

"Mother?! MOTHER?!" Marie yelled and panicked. She touched her mother and begun to shook her, but nothing happened. "MOTHER!!" Marie yelled and shook again. But Chrono grasps Marie away from her mother and he begun to hug her.

"She's dead…..SHE'S DEAD!" Marie yelled and cried on Chrono's shoulder, while she hugged back. As Chrono hugged her, he felt sorry for her. He wanted to do something to cheer her up, but nothing can now. Now, Marie was an orphan, with nobody in the world to care for her except him, her only friend. "Marie….I'm soo sorry." He whispered to her as she'd cried in sorrow.

"Wh-what am going to do now? I can't live there anymore…and I thought all this time that she was getting better after I checked her yesterday."

Marie dropped down in the icy snow and cried. She and Chrono were standing in the middle of the dead daisy field. And Chrono watched Marie cry below his feet. Marie had no family or relatives to go to now, and there was no orphanages nearby.

"I have to get going soon, but I can't just leave Marie here…I just can't. But humans can't be with demons…unless…" Chrono thought to himself. Chrono bent down and helped Marie from the ground and he stared at her seriously.

"Marie, I figured out a way to help you, by being an owner to you." Chrono said. "What do you mean by that?" she asked him while she continued to tear up.

"It's bad that a human like you is with a demon all the time, but sense you have nowhere else to go, there is a promise that a human can be with a demon always. But it requires me to use your soul, and this promise is called a contract." Chrono explained to her.

"But what happens when a demon uses a human soul?" Marie asked him. "What happens is that the demon gets stronger while using the soul and makes the demon protect the human, its contractor. But the contract causes the human's life to shorten. But what am I saying? I can't."

"No! I will give up my own life in order for you to protect me! To own me! Please Chrono; I have nowhere else to go! I'll make a contract with you!" Marie begged.

Chrono stood still and thought as the falling soft snow colden his face. "But you'll be in constant suffering, and your life will be short. Are you sure you want me to do this to you?" Chrono said to Marie as his eyes grew sad. She looked at Chrono with the same expression.

"You're the only one I have in this whole world, Chrono. Even if you're taking my very life away, at least I'm being with the person that I truly trust. Even if you are a demon, you are the nicest one I met. You saved me and my mother back then, and I' am truly grateful. This year when we met, from the second that we spent time together each day, I trust you more and more as the seasons past. Other than that, I like to be around you. And I care about you. And yes, I' am sure that I want to make a contract with you." Marie nodded and smiled at him.

Chrono did a little smile at her and then he made a sad face again. "Very well…" Chrono said as he bowed to Marie. "I hereby make a contract with you, Marie Jansen."


	6. Destruction

Chapter 6 Destruction

Chapter 6 Destruction

As the long winter passed, Chrono and Marie traveled from Missouri to Illinois, in order for Aion not to find Chrono, especially with him with a human girl. As the snow clouds descended, a bright red moon shone above them. Chrono looked at the moon, worried.

"Shit, this is a warning. If Aion sees me here and now, we'll be in trouble." Chrono thought. He looked back to see if Marie was keeping up, but she kept getting more and more behind. "C'mon Marie, we have to keep going, if Aion sees us here and now we'll be in trouble. If we get to Chicago sooner, we'll be perfectly safe." Chrono explained as he walked faster.

"I'm going as fast as I can." Marie said while keeping pace. But her wrists had exploding pain. "Why do my wrists keep doing this? After the contract I had with Chrono, my wrists started to hurt." Marie wondered.

"Aghhh!" Marie gripped one of her wrists and fell with pain. "Marie!" Chrono yelled as he ran to help her. He bent down. "What's wrong?" He asked. "I don't know, my wrists keep having pain and I don't know why. Aghhh!" she yelled again.

"Let me see them." Chrono said as Marie showed him her wrists and Chrono stared and gasped. "Wh-What's wrong?" Marie said worried. Marie looked at her wrists and saw two cuts on both of her wrists with the Christ symbol on them.

"What?" Marie said while she just stared at her wrists. "Their stigmata, they appear in the same places where Jesus Christ was crucified. It means that you've been chosen by Him, as God's own." Chrono explained as he ripped some pieces of his clothing off and wrapped them around Marie's wrists.

"I heard that God's plan was to send the powers of the 7 virtues down to the people here on earth. To make this world a better place. When people like you experience stigmata, it shows that they were entrusted with that power that God sent them."

As Chrono finished up tying up Marie's stigmata, he held her hand in order for her to keep moving. "Will the stigmata be there forever?" Marie asked Chrono while they walked fast. "No, it will only last for a day or a week or so. But let's worry about that later. We got to get to Chicago as fast…"

"Hello Chrono." A voice said above. Chrono and Marie looked up and saw a black eagle soar above them. Then it landed on a dead tree nearby them.

"A-Aion!" Chrono yelled at the bird. "Heh...heh…yes friend, we got business, you and I." It said. "Chrono…Is that…" Marie said while staring at the eagle while it stared back at her with its ominous eyes.

"Yes, it's Aion, the sinner leader." Chrono explained while he stared at Aion madly. "Why are you looking at me like that, Chrono? I thought that we are going to change the world together as friends. But now look at you, your making friends with these creatures." Aion responded. Marie looked at Aion angry.

"Plus, we need to find the head of pandemonium that we lost somewhere along the way to earth. We will surely need your help." Aion chuckled. Chrono closed his eyes at Aion and shook his head.

"But we promise to achieve our dream together, Chrono! Don't you remember? Don't you want to be free in a world of our own? Instead of just living in a cramped up place like pandemonium." Aion said as he kept pursuing Chrono.

"No!" Chrono yelled. "You're going to hurt a lot of people here if you do achieve our dream, Aion! That's why I left you! And you even tried to get me back by sending the remaining sinners, but even if you keep injuring me, I refuse to go back with you!" Chrono said to Aion.

"Oh well, I tried….I guess I'll be going back to that marvelous fire display back in that little town in Missouri. And what was that town's name again? Hillsboro right? Muhahaha…MUHAHAHAHA!!" Then the bird Aion flew off.

"No, wait!" Marie yelled, confused of what Aion said. Then Chrono grabbed Marie's right hand. "Come with me." He said as he began to run and transformed into his true form in the sky, while carrying her. Marie looked at Chrono, seeing him glow while he flew. "Are you alright?" Chrono asked Marie while he was flying back to Hillsboro.

"Yeah." Marie answered. "It's not like I get up 100 feet in the air while being carried by a demon, but at least you're not like this Aion person." Marie said and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm glad I'm not." He agreed. "But are you really ok? Our contract might hurt you while I'm in my true form." He asked worried.

"No, I don't feel pain at all. I think what you said about the powers and the stigmata are working. Maybe the powers are the reason why I don't have any pain." Marie explained. "Well, that's good to hear." Chrono said relieved. Marie looked down at the ground and freaked out a little.

"Just wrap your arms around my neck and you'll be fine." Chrono said to her. Marie gently put her arms around his neck and blushed a little. "I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you. After all, you're my contractor." Chrono said while smiling at her.

"Yeah." Marie laughed a little and then she frowned.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "It's just…." She started. "If I wouldn't have met you, then all of this would not have happened. Hillsboro wouldn't be in trouble, and I would not be an orphan and I would have taken care of my mother more. Maybe we should never meet, maybe it was never meant to be." Marie explained.

"But I'm glad that we met." Chrono said. "We've had lots of fun together and became close friends. Would you rather have a lonely life than a joyful one?" Chrono asked her.

Marie closed her eyes and thought while Chrono slowed down and waited for her to answer.

"No, I would rather have a life being happy and joyful. But all I can say now is that…everything now just gone to the worse. But you always waited for me to come, we played together, laughed together…and you know this might be the year that I had the most fun. I liked getting to know you and I like talking about my life to you too. Without you, I would have never had those memories that we both shared. And I would have been somewhere else when my mother died…Chrono, I love you." Marie smiled at him.

Chrono blushed a little a looked at Marie. "Marie...I….wait, were here." Marie turned ahead and saw smoke. Chrono went down and landed by the leafless apple tree that was close to the daisy field. Chrono let Marie down, and she walked a little ahead and saw flames and smoke rising from the little town.

"No…" she whispered. Chrono walked to her. "I want you to stay here; I'll take care of Aion and the other sinners there. I promise I'll save your town and come back for you." He explained to her. Marie understood him and nodded. Chrono crouched down and hugged her.

"Marie, I love you too." He whispered to her. Then Chrono stood up and he flew into the fiery depths of Hillsboro.

"MUHAHAHA, yes sinners destroy everything! The buildings and all!" Aion yelled with complete power. Aion looked ahead and saw Chrono walking through the flames.

"Chrono! You came back! So…" Aion started.

"Aion!" Chrono interrupted him. "Whatever you're doing here is just wrong! If you're trying to get me back, it's never going to work like this! People live here, Aion. And what you're doing is just killing their lives, just to get me here." Chrono said while he transformed his right arm into a blade. "Well it worked didn't it? Plus you need to stop protecting these "creatures" what do they ever do to you to make you protect them so much?" Aion said as he changed into his true form. He was all dressed in white and he also transformed his right arm into a blade.

"Because…" Chrono said as he thought back when Marie helped him. "…they have feelings, like the same we do." He explained as he charged at Aion while he charged as well.

"If that's what you want to play then so be it!" Aion yelled as he charged. Then their fight between them started with one clash after another. At times Aion gotten slashed, and others Chrono has gotten slashed. But Chrono mostly injured Aion the most.

"I-I don't understand?!" Aion thought as he held his wounds. "How can he be _this _strong?! How?" Aion looked closely at Chrono's face and he saw a pinch of affection and love. Then Aion slowly widen his eyes.

"You made a contract did you? From that girl?!" he yelled at him shocked. Then Chrono quickly attacked him again.

"SHUT UP! So what if I did!" Aion pushed Chrono away with his arm blade and stared at him angry. Suddenly a sinner flew close by and landed by Aion while carrying someone. It was Marie.

"We found this wench close by." The sinner known as Genai said. Aion took the girl and gripped on to her arm. "Chrono!" Marie yelled at Chrono while holding her hand out to him.

"Marie!!" Chrono yelled while he ran to get her back. But Aion dodged and flew backwards, away from him. Marie looked at the demon who was gripping her and she recognized him.

"It's you! You're the one who killed my father and my brother! You murderer! MURDERER!!" Marie yelled and screamed at him angry.

Aion looked at her despicably and slapped her hard in her face.

"DON'T YOU DARE SLAP HER!!" Chrono yelled at Aion and ran towards him. But yet again, Aion dodged and flew backwards.

"Not only you've made a contract with her, but you're also in love with her!" Aion yelled and teased Chrono.

"LET GO OF HER!!" Chrono yelled with full anger in his voice. "Let's have a deal Chrono, I'll let you have her if you come back and join me. I heard Shader is done with our hideout and we can take this girl over there and make her our slave! You'll _still_ be with her. Heh…heh…" Aion said while laughing a bit.

Chrono's face looked mad and serious. He looked at Marie closely and saw her wounded and saw tears running from her eyes from the slap Aion gave her. He never wanted Marie to suffer like this. Never….

"NO! I'll never join you again!" Chrono yelled as he ran as fast as he could to get Marie. But it was too late. Aion quickly stabbed Marie in her chest and she fell and grunted with pain on the dirty ashy ground. Chrono stared at the horror as he ran to her.

"MARIE!" He called to her. He went to her and held her in both of his arms and begun calling her name again and again till she slowly opened her eyes. "Chrono…." She whispered. "You did the right thing….but promise me….will you wait for me...?" she said softly as she smiled.

"Marie, no! Don't say stuff like that we'll get through this and we'll live together! You're not going to die!" Chrono said as he was tearing up while holding her right hand. "Be strong!" he said to her. Marie slowly laughed as blood dripped out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry…but I can't be strong any longer…It's time for me to move on…but before I go, I have to say one more thing to you….promise me..That you'll be happy…for me…?" Marie smiled her last and closed her light hazel eyes. Her right hand that Chrono was holding dropped down with no life.

"Marie….?" Chrono said as he cried. But Marie didn't move or respond. She was dead.

"MARIE!!" He yelled her name loudly with sorrow and pain in his heart. In the distance Aion laughed.

"You'll...YOU'LL PAY for this…AION!!" Chrono said with complete anger as he charged and attacked him. He quickly tried to stab him but with Marie's soul energy gone, which gave him an extra boost, Chrono slowly became less and less quick and he fell down to the ground, exhausted.

"You really love that girl did you?" Aion said as he walked toward Chrono. "If you join me now, Chrono, I might make her _alive_ again. And she'll be ALL yours. Not mine, Nate's, Genai's, or anyone else's, just you. But I can do it if you join me now." Aion said as he held his hand out to him. Chrono slowly sat up covered in his and Marie's blood. He looked back and saw Marie, who was lifeless.

Chrono closed his eyes for a long period of time and opened them slowly. Then he grabbed Aion's hand in agreement. Aion smiled and helped him up.

"Nicely done." He said ominously. Then the 6 other sinners grouped up around Aion. "Were finished Aion." Nate said to him.

"Good, now listen everyone! Now, I'll be making new arrangements around here. With us 7 sinners still alive I will make you into perfect soldiers. Now, Genai, Viede, Rizel, Shader, Nate, Chrono. Grab the girl and let's be on to our new hideout, Eden." Chrono grabbed corpse Marie and flew off with the other sinners into the cold winter sky.

"Marie…." Chrono whispered to Marie's lifeless body. "I'm sorry…"


	7. Realizing

Chapter 7 Realizing

Chapter 7 Realizing

"84 years passed since I last saw her. When I met Mary Magdalene 2 decades afterward, she told me in her prediction that Aion wasn't going to make Marie alive. I kinda figured that out myself when 2 decades passed. Marie…she had a rough life. I tried to make her life better than it used to but it all ended in a failure. After I met Mary Magdalene and you, I just forgot all about her. Even if I did remember her, it will only make me miss her even more." Chrono explained to Rosette in a sad tone of voice.

Rosette looked at Chrono sad as well, till she realized something.

"Hey!" Rosette said to him. "What?" Chrono said while his sadness broke. "I can't believe that you would forget your own advice! Just think of the good times you had with Marie, not the bad times." She explained to him. Chrono smiled at her.

"Yeah, I kind of forget my own advice sometimes." He laughed a bit. "Yeah, you goof!" Rosette said as she gently punched Chrono as she gotten up. "C'mon, Chrono, let's sleep. Then we can pack our stuff in the morning." Rosette said.

"But, what about the weapons that we are going to get?" Chrono asked. "Ummm…" Rosette turned and smiled at him. "….I kinda lied to you about that. After all, all of us need to take a break once in awhile, Heh…he…Aghhh!" Rosette yelled as Chrono gotten up and chased Rosette around the campfire.

"YOU WHAT?! THAT'S WHY YOU HAVEN'T BEEN AROUND THE PAST THREE DAYS!?" Sister Kate yelled at Rosette at her desk while Rosette pretended to look ashamed in herself.

"I even send some militia to search for you and Chrono! And you know how much work it took for them to search for you two?!" Sister Kate continued to yell at Rosette. "I'm sorry Sister Kate. It will never happen again. Promise." Rosette fakily said to her boss, and begun to walk off.

"No, come back here, Sister Rosette!!" Rosette stopped and walked back at her and pouted. "For your punishment I want you to sweep the main Magdalene Order building and mop it. And second…Rosette!!" Sister Kate called to her as she ran out of her office.

Out the door, she grabbed Chrono hand, which he was nearby, and ran off with him.

"You know, your so in trouble when she sees you again." Chrono pointed out. "Shut up!" She yelled at him.

"Come back here!!" sister Kate yelled in the distance.

"Hey Azmaria!" Rosette called out to her who was sitting on the edge of the well in the courtyard outside.

She was wearing a short white and pink Magdalene uniform, and she had long white hair and deep maroon eyes. Azmaria was one of the 7 virtues of God. Or what the Magdalene order call them, apostles. She was in trusted with the power of charity. On the days when Rosette and Chrono rescued her two times in a row from her evil stepfather and his demon, Viscount Lerajie. She would take place of Rosette's and Chrono's punishment other than them. She is truly the angel of charity.

"Oh, hello guys!" Azmaria saw them and waved. "So, I heard you guys have secretly taking breaks." Azmaria smiled and giggled.

"Don't get me into this. I didn't want to go in the first place." Chrono said, proving his point.

"Chrono!" Rosette yelled angrily, as she begun to give Chrono a noogie. Azmaria still laughed. Rosette let go of Chrono and smiled at her.

"I'm happy that you are cheering up a bit. I like you better laughing and having fun other than being miserable all the time." Rosette said. Azmaria nodded.

"Me too." Then she gave a short grin. "Sister Rosette! Chrono!" a sister yelled in the distance. "Yeah, what is it?!" Rosette yelled back.

"Sister Kate wants both of you to do your 2 weeks of chores, starting now!" Rosette got up and sighed. "We'll see you later, Azmaria." Rosette said and waved goodbye as she and Chrono walked to the Magdalene Order's main building.


	8. Reborn

Chapter 8 Reborn

"Ughhh, I'm too freaking tired to do a mission! She makes us do chores, and now this?!" Rosette complained while she drove through the New York City streets.

"Well I'm not the one who decided to take a break and goof off." Chrono said. "Well it's the stupid order's fault that we don't have breaks. The only time we get to rest is at night! And I love staying up!" Rosette kept complaining.

"By the way, what's the mission?" Chrono asked. "Well, according to Sister Kate, somebody said that there was a demon in human form causing trouble in an old large abandon building in Manhattan. If the building crashes, many people will die, and you-know-who will have my head when that happens." Rosette explained as she continued to drive.

"Well you did cause a lot of accidents lately… If I was Sister Kate, I would…" Chrono started. "Chrono!" Rosette let go of the wheel and strangled Chrono.

"I was just…ROSETTE WATCH OUT!!" Chrono yelled as he pointed at the front window, as they were about to crash into a building. "WAGHHH!" Rosette yelled as she tried to turn the car the other way. But it was a bit too late. They crashed. "Rosette….." Chrono said. "What?" Rosette said ticked. "You did it again…." Chrono sounded disappointed.

"So what!?" Rosette said as she kicked the car's door down and let Chrono and herself off. Rosette just stared at the convent's car, completely destroyed.

"Heh…I guess I'm going to get yelled at again." She sighed. She looked around and behind her, she found her destination, the old broken down building. And she saw something rising out from the top. She saw it was smoke.

"Well it looks like the place, Chrono, get out your weapon pack and let's go." Chrono grabbed the weapon pack from the broken model T, and handed Rosette a gun. Then they both headed into the building. As they entered, fire surrounded the place, making it hard for Rosette and Chrono to breathe.

"Ughhh, see anything?" Rosette asked Chrono. Chrono looked around and didn't see anything. "No." he answered. Then a feeling struck him. He sensed a great evil nearby.

"This feeling…." He whispered. Then a crash was heard from the top of the building. And Chrono heard somebody talking. "Heh… I should never have remade her. Chrono broken my promise and should have forgotten her by now. Heh, but at least her "power" shall be transferred to another "easier" human." The voice said and faded.

"That voice…" Chrono said as he growled. Then he quickly ran up to the nearby steps to the next floor. "Chrono!" Rosette said as she followed him.

On the next floor, Chrono looked around to see if guy who made that voice is still there. But he saw a girl who looked like she was 15, she was all covered in dirt and ash and arm was injured a bit. Chrono stared at the girl, she looked like Marie but a little older.

"Marie….?" Chrono said. Chrono ran through the flames that surrounded and held her and looked at her face. It was Marie.

"Chrono! We got to get out of here! The building can't stand up longer if there are flames in every corner!" Rosette yelled as she got up to the 2nd floor, and ran to Chrono. Rosette looked at the girl he was holding up.

"Who is that?" she asked. "I'll tell you later, but we need to out or else we will die!" Chrono yelled.

"But how? We are surrounded by flames here, we can't go back!" Rosette yelled at him. "Open the seal for 5 minutes Rosette; it will be enough time to get out of here and back to the Order!" Rosette slowly touched her pocket watch that she was wearing on her neck.

"But." She shortly said.

"Do it, Rosette!" Chrono yelled. Rosette quickly nodded and opened her pocket watch. Then darkness completely surrounded Chrono as he changed into his true demonic form.

"Come on!" He yelled to Rosette as he grabbed her and the girl and crashed through the wall of the building, and flew off. Rosette looked back and saw the building that they were in, collapsed.

"Ughhh, you got to be kidding me!" Rosette yelled and sighed.

"Hmmm…" Marie moaned in her sleep. She felt blankets and comforters around her. Also she felt bandages on her right arm. Marie slowly sat up from her bed and looked at herself. She was wearing a long white robe that stretched to her middle legs, and then she looked around.

"Where am I?" she thought. "The only thing I remember is Aion holding me captive and throwing me to an old building and set it on fire. But something rescued me….but who….?"

Marie turned to her right and saw a boy folding blankets away. He had long purple hair tied in a braid, and had a yellow ribbon tied at the end of it. He also wore a red headband, a red jacket and pants; he wore long white socks and had brown leather shoes.

"Wait….I think I saw him before…somewhere…" Marie whispered to herself. The boy heard and turned around and saw her.

"Marie!" he said as he dropped the blankets he was folding and ran to her. Marie freaked out and tried to run away, but the boy got her in his arms just in time.

"Marie, I missed you so much!" the boy said to her. Marie recognized the voice completely.

"Chrono….? Is that you?" Marie asked him. Chrono laughed. "Yep, it's me all right. You've been asleep for 3 days now and I was worried about you!" He continued to hug her. Marie smiled and hugged him back.

"I can't believe it too. I missed you too Chrono." She said. Chrono let her go while he holds her hands, while still smiling at her.

"But I got a question to ask you, how did you come back?" he asked her. Marie froze and thought.

"The only thing that I remember is that Aion held me captive. He kind of treated me as an animal. But one time I ran away and he caught me, then he threw me in an abandon building and he set it on fire to kill me." Marie explained.

"But luckily somebody saved me." Marie said. All what Chrono did was stare at her surprised, thinking. Then he hugged her again without a word.

"Chrono…" Marie whispered. In the doorway nearby, a girl walked past and stared at them, and then walked in. "Chrono! What did I tell you about…?" Chrono stopped hugging and looked at her. "Sorry, Rosette." He said.

Marie looked at the girl whose name was Rosette. She wore a blue nun uniform and she had long blonde hair that was pulled halfway back into two pigtails, while there was still some hair down. She also wore a medium sized pocket watch on her neck and long white thin socks that came up to her upper legs and big brown boots.

"Oh you must be Marie; Chrono told me everything about you." Rosette said as she held her hand to her.

"My name is Sister Rosette." Marie grabbed Rosette's hand and shook it. "It's nice to meet you, Rosette." Marie smiled at her. "Oh I see you've meet Chrono already." Rosette said.

Marie giggled. "Yep…it's been awhile since I seen him. But how do you know him?" Marie asked Rosette. "Well I met him in a tomb like 4 years ago. And we've been friends ever since." Marie looked at Chrono.

"A tomb?" she said confused. "I'll talk about it later." He mumbled. "Oh!" Rosette said as she went to the room's closet and got out a light purple robe and threw it to Marie.

"I would put this on if I were you, because Sister Kate and Father Remington would like to see you!" Rosette winked.

As Chrono stood in the hallway waiting for Marie to come out of Sister Kate's office, Rosette walked to him exhausted and stood by him. "Ughhh, mopping, sweeping, dusting, I can't take any more of this! Why didn't you help me?" Rosette asked Chrono.

"Marie's been in there a long time now…I'm getting worried." Chrono said while ignoring Rosette's question. He continued to look at Sister Kate's office door nervous.

"Is it because of the stigmata that she had back then?" Rosette asked. Chrono slowly nodded.

"Yeah, I bet that she's one of the apostles of God. Which means we have to protect her at all cost, demons across the country want power, and for that they would they to kidnap the apostles and use them for their greedy goals. But mostly we need to keep a close eye out for Aion and the other sinners, because maybe Aion will try to get Marie again." Chrono explained while he closed his eyes.

"I don't want her or see her get hurt again." Suddenly Sister Kate's door opened, and out came Marie. She had a normal expression on her face while she gently closed the door behind her.

"So, Marie…what did they say?" Rosette asked. "Well…" Marie said as she closed her eyes.

"They toke tests of me to see if I'm spiritual or not, and they found out I am." She explained. "They said that I'm one of the 7 apostles of God, the one of faith. They say that whenever one of the people I trust is hurt, they say I'll just heal them without notice." Marie opened her eyes unworriedly.

"But the bad thing is…is that I have to stay here without leaving at all. But that's what Sister Kate and Father Remington told me." Marie said closing her eyes again and tried to hold back her tears. But she hid them and wiped them off. "

Marie, are you ok?" Chrono asked her worried. "I'm fine." She said quickly. Chrono stared at her and shook his head and grabbed her hand and walked out of the hall with her.

"Chrono! Wait for me! Don't just walk off without telling me anything!" Rosette yelled as she ran to catch up. "Rosette…." Chrono said serious to her as she stopped.

"I have to talk to Marie alone…I'm sorry, but you have to stay here." Rosette nodded as both Chrono and Marie walked downstairs.


	9. Decisions

Chapter 9 Decisions

The next day, Marie got up from her bed and put her light purple Magdalene clothes on and thought to herself while she was getting ready. After her discussion with Chrono last night, she knew everything. That she died 84 years ago and somewhat got revived by Aion, all because of a promise made by him and Chrono after he killed her. And Chrono also told her that he met two other people that he made contracts with after her death, one was Mary Magdalene, and the other, Rosette. Who was currently on contract with Chrono now.

But Marie had questions running through her mind. She wanted to know why Chrono made contracts with Mary and Rosette and why Mary died, and she wanted to know more about Mary Magdalene and Rosette's past and what their personalities were like, but Chrono sadly refused to talk about their lives last night.

"Maybe something happened between those two, is that why Chrono didn't want to talk about it over with me? Because it was too sad to explain?" Marie thought as she bushed her hair.

"Maybe I can…no, it would just crush Rosette if I let her talk about her past." Marie said to herself. "But still…" she said again.

"I want to get to know her more." Marie said as she walked out of her room to Rosette's. "Hey Rosette, can we spend some…" As Marie opened the door in her room, she was gone.

"Strange…" Marie whispered.

"She's gone off doing a mission with Chrono." A familiar voice said behind her. She quickly turned and saw a man with short blonde hair in a Magdalene uniform.

"Oh Father Remington, it's you." Marie said. "It seems like you've making quick friends already." He said. Marie giggled. "Yeah…so I guess it's just me here right?" Marie said sad. Father Remington laughed.

"Not likely, there's one girl around here who is just like you. But a bit shyer, and that is also one of God's apostles." He explained. "Really, who's that?" Marie asked.

"Azmaria Hedric, she's outside right now with nobody to talk to, I bet she'll be happy if you came and talked with her. And it will be another chance to make another friend." Remington smiled at her. Marie smiled back.

"Alright." She said as she walked out of the room. "Hmmm." Remington thought.

"Even Marie is one of the apostles; she might be good being one of the exorcists in our Order. I think it something for me to discuss with Sister Kate right now." Remington said to himself as he walked towards Sister Kate's office.

"Oh hello you've must be one of Chrono's friends." Azmaria said as Marie sat by her at the edge of the well in the courtyard outside the Magdalene Order's buildings.

"Yep." Marie said as she held her hand out to her. Azmaria shook it. "My name is Marie Jansen. It's nice to meet you Azmaria Hendric." Marie smiled at her.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you too." Azmaria said. "So I heard that you are an apostle too. What's your power?" Marie asked Azmaria.

"The power of charity, I always help my friends whenever their needed. And I always worried about other people other than myself." She explained.

"I'm an apostle too." Marie admitted.

"Really?" Azmaria said soft. "Which power?" she asked.

"The power of faith, I haven't experience my powers yet…but Sister Kate said It will have effect if somebody I trust is hurt, then it will appear." Marie looked at her wrists to see if her stigmata were still there, but it was nothing but a faded scar.

Marie sighed and looked up at the clear blue sky. "God, if you're listening…why do I have this power? Is it because of my decision I made with Chrono back then? Why?" Then Marie sighed again.

"Maybe it was back then." She thought. "Marie!" Somebody called out her name. It was Father Remington. Marie got up. "Yes Father?" Marie said.

"Sister Kate would like to see you." He said. Marie nodded. "Ok, well Azmaria I'll talk with you later, alright?" Marie smiled.

"Ok." Azmaria grinned as she watched Father Remington and Marie walk to one of the Magdalene Order's buildings.

"Being an exorcist in the Order? Wow, so this means I won't have to stay in the convent all the time?" Marie said very excited.

"Yes." Sister Kate smiled at her. "Father Remington thinks that you will do a good job with exorcising. But in order to be an exorcist, you have to take special classes here of how to destroy demons, learn about them, and others." Sister Kate explained.

"How long will it take?" Marie asked.

"Well for you, it might take 1 or 2 months." Sister Kate said.

Marie quietly thought to herself. "I think I want to be an exorcist." Marie nodded.

"Splendid!" Sister Kate smiled at her.

"But before you begin your classes tomorrow, you must pick a group to be with when you're finished with your classes and pass." Sister Kate said as she opened her file cabinet nearby and grabbed some files and putted some on her desk, and then she searched through some of them.

"You can be in Sister Anna's group or Claire's or…" she kept going.

"No, it's ok Sister Kate; I know which group I'm going to be in." Marie said. "And whose is that?" Sister Kate wondered.

"In Sister Rosette's group!" Marie gladly admitted. All of the sudden Sister Kate fell out of her chair. "Uh! Sister Kate?!" Marie and Father Remington yelled as they tried to help her up.

"Wow, an exorcist?!" Rosette and Chrono said surprised. Marie nodded as she sat down on the edge of the well again outside, while Rosette and Chrono stood there looking at Marie shocked.

"When did you start wanting to be an exorcist?" Rosette asked her.

"Because you don't look like the type to be holding guns, and doing all this rough stuff."

Marie laughed.

"I'll prove to you that _I' am_ tough. Just tell me you want me to do and I'll do it." Marie said. Rosette smiled evilly. "You pick the wrong girl to ask challenges to." She looked at Marie and Chrono, still smiling.

"I want you to kick Chrono in the shin." Rosette said.

"WHAT?!" Chrono yelled at her.

"I can't do that to Chrono, he's my friend Rosette!" Marie said while standing up. "Ha…so this means you're not tough." Rosette pointed at her.

Marie growled and ran to Chrono kicking him in the shin as hard as she could. Chrono yelled in pain. Then Marie got in face to face with Rosette.

"Ha!" Marie said while Chrono was hopping in the distance with pain.

"That's 1 out of 3. Next I want you to arm wrestle me. And believe me, I'm hard to beat." Rosette said as she laid her arm at the edge of the brick well. Marie grabbed her hand and begun. Rosette tried with all of her strength to put Marie's hand down, but Marie kept struggling to keep it up. Marie kept pushing left as hard and hard as she could till she finally done it.

"Whew, wow no wonder you're hard." Marie smiled. Rosette stared at her unbelievably. "Wow, you're the first girl to ever beat me in arm wrestling." She said while stretching her arm.

"Maybe you are up to exorcising. But you need to pass one more of my challenges first." She closed her eyes and smiled.

"What?" Marie said as she crossed her arms. "I want you to scream, "I hate Sister Kate!" at the top of your lungs." She decided. Marie nervously looked up at Sister Kate's window in one of the Magdalene Order buildings up ahead, and luckily she wasn't there.

Marie happily went in the middle of the courtyard, and widely opened her mouth. "I hate Sister Kate!!" She yelled loudly. Then she skipped back to Rosette.

"Tough enough for you?" she smiled at her.


	10. Contractor

Chapter 10 Contractor

"Ouch…" Chrono said as he touched his wound that Marie gave him yesterday. It was morning, and it was almost time for Marie's classes to start. Marie walked out the door in one of the Magdalene buildings she was staying in. And she saw Chrono sitting down on one of the steps on the stairway below her outside.

"Hello." Marie said to Chrono. Chrono looked behind and saw her. "Oh hey Marie, are you ready for your classes today?" He asked.

"Kind of." Marie said as she sat by him. "Well just go with the flow, and everything will be fine." Chrono grinned at her. Marie laughed a bit.

"Thanks Chrono, whenever I'm sad and depressed I know who to run to." Marie smiled as well. Then Chrono grunted in pain. "What's wrong?" Marie asked. "I'm fine." Chrono said.

"It's the wound you gave me yesterday when you did 'Rosette's wonderful challenges' Ughhh…promise me you'll never ask her to make you do challenges again." Marie touched Chrono's left leg.

"I'm really sorry…I promise I'll never do that again, but let me see your wound…" As Marie lifted up Chrono's pants and black tights to see his wound, there was huge scab. Marie looked disgusted to see it, and yet ashamed of herself.

"Oh no, I scraped you! I'm really sorry and…" As Marie was talking she touched Chrono's wound and light came out of her hand and into Chrono's wound, and believably it healed it. As the light faded from her hand, Marie looked at it amazed.

"Oh my….so _that _was my power?" Chrono looked at his leg, amazed as well.

"Wow, Marie thank you." He said. "Umm…you're welcome." She said while looking at her hand still amazed while she stood up.

"I must be going now; my classes start in 10 minutes." Marie said as she stood up and walked down the steps.

"No, wait!" Chrono said. Marie looked at him.

"Yes…?" Chrono walked down and catched up with her.

"There's something I want to talk to you privately. Come with me." Chrono said while grabbing her hand. He led her to the edge of the courtyard, beside to the Magdalene Order building with not that many windows.

"What is it?" Marie asked him. Chrono reached in his red coat pocket and pulled out a pocket watch, the same one Rosette was wearing when Marie met her.

"Wait, isn't that Rosette's pocket watch?" Marie asked him. "Yes, but it's not just any pocket watch; it's a device to seal my powers whenever I make a contract with someone. But right now, I holded off Rosette's contract, because in a matter of days she'll die." Chrono said sadly.

"Die? But when did you make a contract with her?" Marie asked. "4 years ago when I met her, back then her little brother was taken away by Aion. And she only had me to be with; it was like me and you 84 years ago when all of your family died. She wanted me to be with her in order to find her brother, and then I explained the contract, and on that winter day we made it. Luckily Father Remington found us and took us here. Or else Rosette won't be here with us now. But anyways I don't want Rosette to die, and if I don't find any contractor soon I will die as well, because I have no horns, Aion took them from me…and without my horns I would not any astral energy to keep me alive…" Chrono explained.

"So in any case, you want me to continue our contract? I understand." Marie said. Chrono looked at her sadly, and then gave the pocket watch to her.

"But promise me…" Chrono said as he grabbed Marie's hand with the pocket watch. "Release the seal when I tell you to. I don't want you to die again." Chrono said seriously. Marie nodded slowly.

"I understand." Chrono let go of Marie's hand and she looked at the pocket watch as the hands stood still and then moved with life.

"So, I guess we are under contract now." Marie said as she looked at Chrono, still sad.

"Don't worry, Chrono. I'll be fine, I promise that I'll protect this pocket watch with my life and I won't break the seal unless you say so." Marie smiled as she put the pocket watch around her neck begun to walk to her class in the next building.

"See you later!" she waved. Chrono smiled slowly and waved back.

As Marie walked to her first class she found an empty desk and sat in it, while waiting for the class to start. While she waited, she looked at her pocket watch that was on her neck and watched the hands slowly tick by.

"Strange, when I saw Rosette wearing this when she was under contract, the hands moved a lot quicker. Or maybe it was just my imagination, the watch's hands couldn't move _that_ fast….would it?" Marie let go of the pocket watch and looked around the classroom, noticing some girls like her in the same uniform kept staring at her.

"Ok….creepy." Marie thought. "I saw that you made a contract with a demon." A girl said who was sitting behind her. Marie turned and looked at her.

"Yeah, I only did it so one of my friends won't die. Why are you saying like it's a problem?" She asked her. "Because after what I heard, after the contractors die from their contract, them and the demon will go to hell." The girl said.

"Even if does happen, I'm not afraid. At least I made the contract for a reason." Marie explained. "Weirdo…" The girl whispered after Marie turned back.

"Ok everyone…" The teacher/Sister walked into the room. "I want you to write these notes down on the chalkboard here, and after that we will have a review."

Marie took out her paper and begun to write the notes that were on the chalkboard. But while she was doing it, the girls in the classroom kept staring at her again. "I have a weird feeling that these girls will keep doing this to me ALL day….ugh." Marie thought as she wrote.

"Hey Marie, how was your classes?" Rosette asked Marie as she walked into her room. And Marie was laying there flat on her bed crying.

"Marie? What happened?" Rosette asked as she sat on Marie's bed, waiting for her response. Then Marie sat up and wiped some of her tears of with her sleeve on her uniform. She looked down.

"It's just everyone here…they all just stare at my pocket watch and stay away from me like I have some bad disease. And it's all because of the contract that I made from Chrono. They think that I'm like a bad guy or that I'm a devil worshiper. But I'm not like that…." Marie said as she was about to cry again.

"Don't cry, I used face that whenever I was taking classes like you were now. The girls here would always stare at me like I was different from everyone else. But my friend, Beth, who used to be here, she'll always tell me to just ignore them and face it or else I wouldn't ever pass my classes." Rosette said as she putted her arm around Marie.

"So don't cry about it, face it. Even if they stare ignore them, if you don't then you will just have to pass the classes over and over again." Marie stared at Rosette and nodded as she teared up a little.

"Here." Rosette hugged Marie "I think you need one of these."

As 5 weeks passed in the month of April, Marie followed Rosette's advice and kept focus on her classes. No matter how many times the girls in her classes stared, rumored, and stood away from her, Marie passed every single class this month without worrying about a thing.

"Finally it's the weekend!" Marie said as she sat on her favorite spot, the edge of the well outside.

"Hey Marie." A familiar voice said in the distance. Marie looked on her right and saw Chrono waving as he walked to her.

"Hey Chrono." She grinned at him as he sat by her. "So how are your classes so far? Are you passing?" He asked. Marie nodded.

"Yep, the classes are very easy actually. In the majority of my classes you just have to learn about types of demons and how to destroy them, no offense Chrono." He laughed a bit. "None taken." He said.

"And the other classes, which are my favorite, are the shooting and barrier etc. classes. I passed them very easily." Marie explained then sighed.

"I wonder how much longer till I travel and do missions with you guys." Chrono looked at Marie's pocket watch and stared at it seriously.

"Yeah, I wonder too." Then Marie and Chrono heard footsteps in the distance.

"Oh, it's you Azmaria." Chrono said as she ran to them. "Marie, Father Remington and Sister Kate would like to see you now." Azmaria said to Marie.

"Really?" Marie asked. Azmaria replied with a nod.

"I'll be back, Chrono! It won't be long!" Marie said as she ran to the building with Sister Kate's office. "You know…I think she might did it." Chrono smiled.

"Yeah…" Azmaria said and smiled as well. "Maybe you should be an exorcist Azmaria. It would be a good chance for you to be with us more." Chrono said to her.

Azmaria thought. "Yeah, maybe I should."


	11. Test

Chapter 11 Test

As Marie stepped into Sister Kate's office, both Sister Kate and Father Remington stared happily at her. Marie walked to them and stared in confusion.

"Um…this is the first time I saw you guys this happy at me. Why?" Marie asked.

"Because you have broken the record, Marie." Remington said. "Record?" Marie asked, still confused.

"What record?" she asked again.

"Marie, you have broken the record of being the first student to pass all of the Magdalene classes in one month!" Sister Kate was so happy that she went over to Marie and gave her a hug.

"Ow, Sister Kate…you're kind of squishing me." Marie said in pain.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She let go of her. "I'm just so happy for you." She grinned.

"Does this mean that I'm a Sister? And that I can go on missions etc.?" Marie said excitedly.

"Nope, you have to pass one more test. Come with me, Marie, and I will show you the way." Father Remington said as he led Marie out the door.

"Burr…its cold in here." Marie said as she huddled her arms.

"Yes, we keep this place in a certain temperature so the demons that we sealed here won't break free." Remington explained as they walked through a metal hallway.

"So in this final test do I have to use guns?" Marie asked. Remington nodded as he walked.

"Yes!" Marie said excitedly. Remington looked back at Marie, and saw the pocket watch that was dangling from her neck.

"The pocket watch? But how come she has it now? Does this mean Chrono has chosen a new contractor?" Remington thought worriedly as they both got in the entrance of the control room.

"This place is one of the Elder's inventions. We told him to make this place to make students like you finish with their training and for Sisters who need extra practice. And now…" Remington said as he went to the supplies cabinet in the control room and gave Marie a headset, which are earphones and a microphone, and he gave her two guns that were loaded with sacreds; holy bullets that destroy demons.

"The goal in this last test is to shoot all 100 energy balls in one hour, plus you have to destroy a very tough demon at the end. Now before we start, can I have that pocket watch that you are wearing, I will give it back to you at the end of the test." Remington asked her.

"Umm, sure…" Marie said as she handed over the pocket watch to Remington. "And I got a question for you." He said again.

"Yes? What is it, Father?" Marie said. "Why did you make a contract with Chrono? Don't you realize what a contract can do to a human's life?" Remington said seriously. Marie looked at Remington sad and serious.

"Because…Rosette will die if Chrono will keep under contract with her. And if even it will be me someday…" Marie said as she putted her headgear on.

"…At least I saved one of my first friends from death. So that's why I continued my contract with Chrono." Marie walked over to the metal elevator and waited patiently for Remington getting done with the controls.

"Alright, I'm finished. Whenever you're ready Marie…" Remington said.

"I'm ready." Marie said completely serious.

Then Remington lowered the elevator and when it stopped the doors completely opened and Marie rushed out and shot the 100 energy beams as fast as she can.

"I have a great feeling that Marie would be one of the best exorcists in our Order, and she even might be tougher than Rosette herself." Remington grinned as he watched her through the control room's window.

"Hello Father Remington!" a voice said behind him. Remington turned his chair around and saw Rosette with Chrono.

"Ah, well if it isn't you Rosette. Why are here? Mind by asking." Remington asked her.

"Well to see if Marie passes, I can't wait for her to be on our team!" Rosette said as she walked to the window and watch Marie shoot with style. Chrono went by her and watches her as well.

"I never knew it had it in her…" Chrono thought and grinned while he watched Marie shoot the targets. "Well the boring part is about to be finished, next is the interesting part." Remington said as he lay back in his chair.

"Which is…?" Rosette asked.

"You should know Rosette, at the end of every final test you have to defeat a tough demon at the end. According to Marie's successfulness in her grades, I let lose the most toughest demon here, to test her knowledge." Remington said calm.

"WHAT?!" Chrono yelled and panicked.

"Relax…I'm sure Marie will kill it with no problem at all." Remington said. "But if there's trouble…I'm going in…" Chrono said mad and serious.

Then he watched Marie closely as she was finishing the final targets. "Please be careful…" Chrono whispered.

"Agh…last one." Marie said as she shot the final target.

"And I guess its demon time. I must reload my guns first." As Marie went to one of her pouches on her side, for bullets, a growl echoed the room.

"I guess that's him…I must hurry." Marie said to herself. Then the growls got louder and louder and then a huge explosion of darkness set off in the same place Marie was at, in the middle of the training arena.

"MARIE!!" Chrono yelled as he ran out into the elevator and into the training arena.

"No Chrono, all of this is part of the test!" Remington yelled back. Then he went into the elevator. "Remington!" Rosette ran to him.

"No Rosette, I want you to stay here, In case something goes wrong." Remington explained. Rosette slowly nodded as Remington went down the elevator.

Rosette then went into Remington's seat and watched Chrono and then Father Remington running to were the explosion was held.

"This is not good." Rosette thought, then pocket watch which was nearby, moved and shocked a bit where it was sitting. "Not good at all."

"Ugh!" Marie grunted on the ground after the huge dark explosion. While she lied there she saw one of her guns in front of her, with the bullets emptied and surrounded it. She sighed.

"Great, now I have to reload them again." The growl was getting closer and closer to her; Marie quickly turned and saw a huge black demon dog with its eyes glowed dark blue staring at her. It crept closer and closer to her.

Marie slowly tried to get up but pain was felted on her legs and her left arm. She looked and saw that she was cut twice on both of her legs and one on her left arm from the explosion.

Marie crawled to the gun facing her pain, and grabbed four sacred bullets that were surrounded by it. As the demon dog was about to leap and hit her, Marie dodged quickly on the ground and stood up quickly while putting the bullets in. Then the dog leaped at her again, and Marie dodged again but barely.

She stepped closer to the demon while aiming her gun at it, and shot it as quickly as she can.

"Even if it won't be enough, this might stop you a little bit." After her 3rd shot the gun stopped firing bullets, Marie looked at her gun confused.

"Is it jammed? No!" she fiddled with it. As she was the demon dog was charging at her and swooped its paw at her and made her fly halfway through the air.

"MARIE!!" Chrono yelled and ran halfway to her as she fell flat hard on the ground.

"Marie….?" He whispered her name. But Marie just laid still, with no movement at all. Then Chrono's sad face turned into madness, and then darkness whirled all over him while he screamed.

"NOOO!!" The demon dog faced its attention towards him.

"What have you done is lowest of the low! You sew deep to my contempt without even a name! You dare touch _my _contractor?! You dare _hurt_ what's MINE!?" he screamed again while darkness swirled maximum around him. Almost half the arena was suffered by his darkness. Remington quickly rushed to the scene, and stared in horror.

"Chrono…..he's doing this to protect his contractor, or avenge her." Remington thought.

"No! Chrono don't do this!" Rosette yelled and ran towards him in the distance while holding Marie's pocket watch.

"No!" Remington yelled as her as he forced his arm halfway at her to make her stop. "But Chrono…" Rosette started.

"Rosette, if you go and help Chrono right now, his darkness will kill you. Only Marie can face his darkness, since she is the contractor." Remington explained.

The pocket watch shocked in Rosette's hand, she looked ahead and saw Chrono still screaming and swirling with darkness, as he tried to open the seal on the pocket watch. Nearby Marie halfway got up and looked at Chrono ahead, mad with rage.

"NO!" Marie yelled as she ran to him, through the darkness. She hugged him while he was still going mad.

"No Chrono! I'm fine, I'm ok! Please stop doing this!" Marie yelled to him. Chrono looked at her with his eyes glowing blood red.

"Please look me in the eyes! I'm not dead, Chrono, I'm not dead!" She said to him.

"Marie?" Chrono softly said as his eyes turned back to normal. Then the darkness that was around him, slowly tuned down to nothing. Then Chrono hugged her tightly.

"Thank goodness you're safe…" he whispered to her. Then the growl was heard again, the demon dog angrily stepped closer and closer to them.

"Don't worry; I won't let him get you Marie. After all he's just a low level piece of garbage." Chrono said as he got in front of her.

"But it'll kill you…and I don't have my…" Marie started. "Marie! Catch!" Rosette said behind her as she threw the pocket watch to her. Marie safely caught it.

"What now?" she asked.

"I want you to tweak open the pocket watch just a little bit to release some of my power, but don't open it fully." Chrono explained to her. Marie nodded and opened the pocket watch a little. The demon dog that was close to them couldn't take patience and jumped right at them. Chrono held his hand out, and forced his darkness power right at the demon.

"Now, I command you hellhound to sentence you back of which you came, Amen." Chrono's darkness surrounded the demon and then it fully disappeared. Then Marie tightened the pocket watch, and she turned and smiled at Chrono.

"Thank you."

"Heh? I passed?" Marie stared confused at Sister Kate who was sitting at her desk in her office while Father Remington was standing close by.

"I don't quite understand though, Chrono destroyed the demon. And the only thing I done to it was shooting 3 sacreds at it, and it didn't do a thing." Marie said.

"Indeed, but _you did _face a demon." Sister Kate said. Marie looked confused. "Remember, you're the one who saved Chrono from his raging darkness that was inside of him. And you of all girls who hate demons, you saved him from his darkness. That's why you pass. You had faced a true demon." Sister Kate explained to her.

Marie looked at the pocket watch that was dangling from her neck. She grabbed at looked at it a little.

"I got to keep a close eye on Chrono. Him doing that was not a good sign, I must prevent myself from injuries and getting hurt, or else he will go in that way again." She thought as she let go of her pocket watch.

"So why are you still here? Sister Marie? You can leave now to join your group, you passed." Sister Kate said.

Marie smiled and nodded and ran off to tell her friends the good news. "We need to keep our eyes on _him_, Father." Sister Kate said.

"Yes, or else his darkness and rage will take over him again. And I'm sure Marie was thinking the same way." Father Remington turned to the full screen window behind him, as he saw Marie running to Rosette, Chrono, and Azmaria, telling them the great news with smiles on their faces.

"Yes, if Chrono does that again, I'm afraid the darkness and rage will take over him, and that he can't reach to his senses." Remington said as he stared at Chrono out the window, seriously.

"But, enough of that…I think that someone else would like to join those three too, to become an exorcist." Remington smiled.


	12. Mission

Chapter 12 Mission

"Wow, my first mission…I' am soo excited!" Marie said in the back seat of the model T.

"Yeah you're going to get used to it and the excitement will wear off." Rosette explained while she drove.

"How many missions did you do?" Marie asked.

"Ummm…this will be my 70th mission, concluding this one today." Rosette said.

"Yeah, and my excitement is all gone." Marie looked at Rosette amazed. "Wow, that many?" Chrono nodded. "Yep and I was there each and every single one." He smiled.

"Well here's the place." Rosette said as she parked by the building that they were assigned too. As everyone got out of the car, two police men walked toward them.

"Excuse me, why are you children here? You shouldn't be here. This is a restricted area." One of them said. "Children?!" Rosette laughed.

"Please, you are _very_ far off by calling us 'children'." Rosette pointed out.

"Well 'teenagers' why are you here?" The other officer said.

"My name is Sister Rosette." She introduced herself.

"And I'm Sister Marie." Marie counted in.

"And we are in the Order of Magdalene, a secret organization trained to kill demons, and you're looking at the 3 top militia, sir." Rosette winked. "Ready Chrono?" Rosette yelled loud and clear.

"Right!" Chrono opened his weapon pack on his back and Marie and Rosette rushed to get the guns.

"Don't worry officers, after were done you'll have anything to worry about." Then Rosette, Marie, and Chrono dashed into the restricted building.

"Well Chrono, sense anything yet?" Rosette asked as she, Marie, and Chrono were dashing and hiding from one spot to another.

"Well, I do sense a great hunger as been feed and the hostages….well…" he stopped short.

"Then it's live or die." Rosette dashed out of the hiding spot and into the main room and tripped while falling.

"Rosette!" Marie and Chrono yelled as they came to help her up.

"Thanks guys, what did I trip on?" Rosette looked back and saw a mummy-like thing on the ground where she tripped.

"UGH EWWW!" Rosette flinched back. Chrono walked to it and examined it.

"It looks like this is the only hostage here, and his soul and his very life force has been sucked out, and because of that he's mummified." Chrono explained.

"Well we must kill the demon now before he hurts other people." Rosette looked ahead and saw a new passage way and some steps by it.

"Two passage ways huh…..Chrono, Marie!" Rosette called them out.

"Yes?" they said.

I want you two to go up these steps to find the demon, while I go this hallway to him to." Chrono looked at Rosette worried.

"But what about you?" he said.

"C'mon Chrono, I done missions like 70 times now! Even I get bruised or bleed, I'll be fine. And besides I'm not your contractor anymore. All that you have to worry about now is Marie." Rosette winked.

"Just come in here if you guys fine nothing upstairs." Then Rosette left.

"Ok, Marie lets..." Chrono turned to his side and Marie was gone.

"WHA-MARIE?! WHERE DID YOU…" Chrono freaked.

Marie laughed while she was on the steps. "I'm up here. Don't get worried ok?" Marie smiled. Chrono turned worried to blushing.

He laughed embarrassed as he climbed up the stairs along-side her. "I'm going to check all the rooms when I get up there." Marie whispered to Chrono.

Chrono looked at her with the same worried expression earlier. As they got up the stairs, Marie rushed to the first door and leaned against it. Then she waited for the perfect moment and opened the door quickly and pointed the gun in the room, but nobody was in there. She got out of there and looked further in the hall, to see if there are any more doors. Then she saw a light flickering under a closed door at the end of the hall.

"Somebody's in there…I can feel it." Marie whispered.

Then she and Chrono slowly walked to the end of the hall and Marie slowly opened the door and quickly put her gun up. But nobody attacked her. She looked in the room and saw a bed with someone hiding in the covers and under the bed was a star, around with a circle with red candles on each point of the star, the sign of the devil.

"A Satanist…?" Chrono whispered.

"People who just lose their faith in God and go over to the dark side…just makes me feel mad inside. I mean, why do people do these things?" Marie whispered and walked over to the bed slowly. She quickly took the cover off and shot her gun at the person who thought might be possessed by a demon, but it was only decoy.

Marie looked around worried, the demon might be anywhere in this room.

"I sense evil coming….Marie watch out!" The demon jumped off the ceiling and tried to attack Marie. Then she tried to shoot it with her sacred bullets but the demon dodged every bullet.

"It's way too fast for me to shot it!" Marie yelled while putting more bullets in. "You're just wasting sacreds! It's impossible to shoot it this fast!" Chrono yelled.

"I'm not giving up!" Marie yelled as she tried to shoot it again, but Marie stepped on one of the candles on the floor and tripped backward.

"Whoa!" The demon charged right at Marie, while she hovered her arm up and closed her eyes. Suddenly blood got on her and she saw Chrono was bitten by the demon other than her.

"SHOOT IT NOW MARIE!" Chrono yelled in pain.

Marie got up and aimed and fired at the demon as it let go of Chrono. Then the demon layed there as it slowly changed to its true form, and then Marie shot the bullets at it more and more, while the demon got bigger and bigger.

"NO STOP MARIE! SOMETHING BAD IS HAPPENING!!" Chrono yelled as the demon got bigger as it left no room for Marie and Chrono to run.

"What's happening!?" Marie asked. "No time to explain! Let's get out of here!!" Chrono squeezed and held Marie's hand and got out of the room with the growing demon, as he and she dashed through the hallway and the stairs.

Luckily Rosette got out of the room and Chrono grabbed her hand and dashed outside while holding both Marie's and Rosette's hands. And behind them, the building collapsed while everyone and even the police officers got covered in debris. And all three of them climbed out and looked back at the destroyed house. Rosette blankly stared at it and then laughed and cried.

"WAHHH…I'm soo going to get punished for this!!" Rosette said out loud.

Back at the Magdalene Order, Marie sat her usual spot on the edge of the well and waited for Rosette to come out. She heard Sister Kate's yelling from the next building, and she sighed. She tried to tell Sister Kate that it was her fault that the building collapsed, but she wouldn't believe a hard working student would cause all this.

"Hello Marie." A soft voice said in the distance. It was Chrono. He sat by Marie and slowly smiled at her. But Marie just frowned.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Ugh, it was my fault that the building collapsed. Not Rosette. Why doesn't Sister Kate yell at me?" Marie said sadly.

"Well for one thing for sure, I think that Sister Kate is yelling at Rosette, because she always causes accidents like this. That's why, she picked her over you. Plus, that was your first mission." Marie continued to frown.

"Oh Marie, _you_ know what I do to my friends when their sad." Chrono said cheerfully. Marie sadly stared down, she didn't want laugh right now. "Oh my gosh!" Chrono looked ahead serious.

"What?" Marie stared ahead and saw nothing then at Chrono.

"What are you…?" Then Chrono made a silly face at her. Marie laughed. "Ugh, Chrono you got me!" Marie said while still laughing.

"Nothing can resist my funny grin." He laughed with her. Then Marie heard footsteps and saw Rosette walking towards them from the near building. She sighed and sat with Marie on the other side.

"So…how did it go?" Marie asked.

"It was ok, I always get used to Sister Kate yelling at me like that. But luckily she didn't go this extreme on me." Marie turned down again.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shot that demon a bunch of times and it wouldn't have caused all this." She said sadly.

"Come on, it was your first mission. Plus, it's good to shoot demons a lot of times, or else they won't be dead and they will run around harming people." Rosette patted her back.

"Thanks, Rosette." Marie slowly smiled. Rosette looked at the faded sunset in the distance. "It's getting late; we should probably go to bed now." Rosette said.

"Right now? But it's barely night." Marie said.

"Yeah, but at times…demons like to cause trouble at night too. So if I were you…I'll get some rest." Rosette winked as she walked to the building with her room. Marie sighed.

"Well she's right. I can feel evil from New York City in this very spot. I'm positive that something will go wrong tonight." Chrono explained. Marie sighed again.

"But I slept late this morning, and I'm not even that tired." Chrono looked at the building Rosette went in and looked at her.

"Well we do stay in the same building to rest, and I stay in the same floor as you. So maybe we can talk a little bit in your room till that time comes." Chrono smiled at her.

Marie thought and nodded. "Ok, let's go." Marie said as they both walked to the building.


	13. Refusing

Chapter 13 Refusing

"So…what do you want to talk about?" Chrono asked as he and Marie sat on her bed, with a little space between them. They faced the window that was by the bed and looked at the night sky through the glass. Chrono stared deeply at it and a small tear run off his face. Marie heard the tear fall on the bed; (since it was quiet) Marie turned and saw wetness in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Marie asked. Chrono looked at her and quickly turned his head away. "It's nothing." He said.

"If I told you…you'll be jealous." Chrono said soft. Marie slowly moved her hand and touched his face. Chrono looked at her surprisingly.

"It's ok Chrono, I won't get mad…I'm not Rosette, ok? So, you can tell me anything." Marie closed her eyes and grinned at him. Chrono continued to stare at Marie blankly, just him looking at her grinning reminded him of someone he once knew. Chrono sadly turned his face to her hand and gently let it down.

"Marie…honestly you will…Mary, I loved her…she knew how I felt. She knew almost everything about me, but I wanted to know so much about her too…." Chrono whispered the last words.

"But I can't talk about it over with you now." Chrono looked serious at her now. Marie made an angry face at him.

"Why not? It's not like that much different than my relationship with you back then." Marie's voice turned softer as Chrono's face turned from serious to sad to her again.

"I'm sorry…It's just I..."

"It's ok, Marie I know." Chrono interrupted.

"But I'll tell you one of these days about my past after you died back then." Marie looked at him not-trusting. "But what if you say the say the same thing right now; about not talking about it." Chrono reached out his hand to her. Marie stared at it.

"Trust me, Marie….I will." He whispered.

Marie smiled and slowly grabbed his hand. Chrono's hand was warm, soft, and gentle…It was the complete opposite of what a true demon's hand felt like. Even in his true form, his hand will still be gentle and soft. Marie couldn't let go of his hand. She laughed in only a whisper.

"Heh, I can't let go." Marie smiled. Chrono blushed and smiled also. "Yeah….me too." Chrono decided to get up from his bed while still holding Marie's hand.

"Want me to take you to your room? I can tell you're pretty tired, your eyes explain that." He chuckled. Marie blushed.

"Yeah…" As they begun to walk toward the door, Rosette barged in Chrono's room quickly.

"Chrono! We got a mission so…" Rosette blankly stared at Chrono and Marie who were still holding hands. Rosette's face turned blank to mad.

"Let's go, Chrono." Rosette said clenching her teeth as she tightly held Chrono's hand. Marie stared at them as they ran out the door. Marie looked blankly and sighed.

"I guess I'm not the only one who likes Chrono…" Then she ran to catch up with them.

In the car, Rosette tightly griped on the wheel in the model T, and stared madly at the road.

"Rosette…" Chrono whispered.

"SHUT UP, CHRONO!" Rosette yelled. In the back, Marie closed her eyes and tried to speak, but no words were flying out of her mouth. She was afraid that Rosette will yell at her, like with Chrono. But she tried a second time.

"Umm...Rosette?" Marie whispered. Rosette didn't say anything.

"Me and Chrono weren't doing anything…well romantic…he was just taking me to my room is all. Please don't get mad." She whispered.

"Well to me, it looks like you weren't doing something like that…" Rosette grouched as she slammed on her brakes.

"ROSETTE!!" Chrono yelled in panic as they slammed to a building next to the docks, their destination. Chrono roughly pushed the broken car door and help get Marie out in the back.

"Thanks." Marie said.

"No prob." Chrono grinned as he went to the back of the model T and got his weapon pack (luckily it wasn't damaged). Chrono opened it and gave one gun to Marie and Rosette.

"Excuse me what are..." One of the police men came over and asked Rosette. But she ran and grabbed Chrono's hand to the ship by the docks.

"We are professional exorcists sir, we got it from here." Marie said as she ran to catch up. Both Rosette and Marie shot the rope that was in their guns and it pulled them on the ship. As they got on, Rosette let go of Chrono.

"Jeez Rosette, can you squeeze me any tighter?" Chrono complained. Rosette ignored his complaint.

"Let's split up, Chrono left, Marie right, and me middle. Got that?" Rosette said. Chrono and Marie nodded. Then all three dashed in their directions.

Deep within the ship, Marie looked all around and only the metal walls of the ship, in the distance there was a doorway with a light.

"Hmm…reminds me of our last mission." Marie said to herself. Suddenly the ship jolted and almost threw Marie backward.

"What the…" Marie said.

"The ship's moving? This is not good." She said as she held her gun tightly, as she got closer to the cracked door.

"Marie?" a familiar voice said in her mind.

"Huh? A voice in my head?" Marie freaked. "This sea air is really getting to my head." She thought.

"No it's not, Marie. It's me, Chrono. This is just one of my powers; I want to know if you're ok." Chrono said in her mind.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me ok?" Marie thought back to him.

"But if there's a problem, just yell out my name in your mind, alright?" He said.

"Ok." Marie thought.

As she got to the door, she forcedly opened it and saw lights all around the room, shining upon the treasures that were in the room. There were gold artifacts, jewels, pearls, anything you can think of.

"What? What in the heck was this ship holding these for? To pay war depts.?" Marie said to herself. Then a giant ghost-like figure attacked her from behind. "Aggrh!" Marie grunted as she landed on some treasure across the room.

"Should I tell Chrono? No, if I do…he'll only turn mad with rage like when I was having trouble with the last test." Marie said as she saw a cut on her arm from the treasure she was on.

She loaded her guns with sacred bullets and shot them. But as the bullets hit it, it didn't do that much effect. The demon charged at her, and then she quickly got up and tried to run back at the door, but the demon was blocking it.

"Darn! What now!?" Marie yelled. Suddenly a shot blasted the demon from behind. And Rosette slid under the demon.

"Are you alright?" Rosette asked her. "I'm fine, just have a scratch is all." Marie replied.

"Heh, it's strange that you always get stuck with the demon. I wish I was lucky as you!" Rosette grunted as she shot a lot of sacred bullets at the demon. Marie quickly put her gun down.

"What?!" Rosette yelled at her.

"This demon is astral formed. It can't be killed by only sacreds; it needs some kind of explosion to get rid of it." Marie explained.

"Well we don't have TNTs!! And this room doesn't have any gunpowder!! What else can we do?!" Rosette argued. Then the demon came and pushed her with his giant hand. And Rosette fell and crashed in the same pile of treasure Marie was in.

"Rosette!!" Marie turned and yelled. And without notice the demon grabbed her and slowly pulled her in with the tentacles on his back.

"Feed me, Feed on my power." It growled.

"No…" Marie thought.

"I can't let Chrono know that I'm in trouble like this…" Marie griped on a heavy gold statue to prevent the demon from pulling her in. But still he moved her and the statue, proving that he deeply wants her.

"There were so many things I wanted to do, so many things I wanted you to tell me…But I let it all go because I didn't say I needed help." Marie thought.

"But I want to do things on my own for once; I don't want you to get hurt because of me. I can't call help for you now, even if I did, you won't make it in time. But I promise I'll figure out a way….now." Marie undid the seal the pocket watch on one of the hands that she was gripping on the statue with, but one hand alone wouldn't hold her on to it. And then she let go and into the ghost-like demon, and vanished into the darkness inside it.

"MARIE?! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU THINKING?!" Rosette yelled.

"Darkness…" Marie whispered. Marie was floating in the swirling black misting darkness around her, and devouring her very slowly. In the darkness she thought, she thought of the stupid mistake she done to herself.

"I'm soo stupid." Marie thought. "I'm stupid, because I _can't_ do everything by myself and I just gave up without thinking….so stupid." She continued.

"You are not stupid…" a soft woman's voice said. "At least you've tried…even I tried to do things by myself and sometimes I can't do it." The voice continued.

"Who are you?" Marie whispered. Then a hand that was glowing with light was reaching for her.

"Grab my hand, and I believe somebody is waiting and worried about you, Marie." Marie grabbed the hand and the darkness disappeared by her light when Marie grabbed it. As the light cleared, Marie found herself halfway up the ground, being held and the person who was holding her was walking along-side Rosette.

"Do you think…Oh my gosh! You're ok Marie!!" Rosette smiled at her surprised. "Thank God, you're safe!" a familiar voice said to Marie, it was the person who was holding her, it was Chrono and he was in his full form. He smiled at her as he walked the steps to the top of the boat.

"Did you take care of the demon?" Marie asked. Chrono nodded.

"Yes, and _next time_, please contact me if there's anything wrong! That demon would have devoured you quickly Marie! And I would of not able to save you in time." Chrono roughly said.

"And I would be in miserable pain now without you. I don't want to lose you again." Chrono turned from rash to soft.

"But I didn't want to lose you ether! You had deep injuries from the first mission I've had yesterday!" Marie said proving her point.

"Listen Marie, demons take less time to heal other than humans do. I'll be fine if I get bitten, scratched, cut, or bruised bad. So take my advice and don't worry about me, alright?" He grinned on the last words he said.

"I wonder…" Marie thought. "Who was that woman who saved me? To me in a way…I felt like I met her before."

At the last step Chrono let Marie go and walked and blankly stared at the horror in front of him. Marie did the same as well.

"What's wrong?" Rosette said cheerfully as she stared in front blankly like Chrono and Marie was. In front, she saw the ship (that was moving earlier) crashed into the borders of statue of liberty. She twitched.

"I thought you said that you were going to fix that problem with the ship, Chrono…?" Rosette grinded her teeth.

"Umm…well…" Chrono softly said, then Rosette begun to punch Chrono in his abs.

"You moron!! Now I'm going to get yelled at _again_! If you were smaller I would punch you flat hard in your face!!" Rosette yelled.

"Please Rosette, I tried…." Chrono said while she was still punching him.

"You didn't try, you never try……" Rosette went to angry to sad, and now she was laying on the ground, crying a river to herself. Chrono stepped back and stared at her.

"Heh heh…just wait Chrono…I got the perfect plan to put my revenge on you!" She said through her tears.

"Ok…." Chrono said freaked out at the moment. He turned to Marie.

"Let's go home, shall we?" He grinned through his ashamed face. Marie laughed a bit. "…Yeah." Chrono grabbed Marie and took off with Rosette still sitting there.

"Huh?" Rosette said surprised. "What in the heck are you doing Chrono?!"

Rosette yelled as she got up and jumping up and down (still on the ship) while waving her arms. "You are forgetting somebody important here!! You idiot! Come back and get me!!" Rosette continued.

Chrono laughed while he flew.

"You think we should get her?" He asked Marie. Marie giggled.

"Let's just _pretend_ we flew back home. Then retrieve her. Yeah, and I bet she'll forget everything she said to you about revenge."

Chrono nodded and agreed.

"COME BACK HERE!!" Rosette yelled in the distance.

**AN: Sorry that I have not posted much for my other fanfic (My Autumn) But Im kinda in the zone typing this one. XD Yeah soo I'll probably post My Autumn around Thursday or Friday ok? But anyways I hope you guys like this fanfic soo far! (sorry if Rosette is a little unfortunate at times, lol)**


	14. Summoners

**AN: Finally I posted on this one XP Please enjoy chap 14!**

Chapter 14 Summoners

In the streets of New York, Rosette drove quickly on the road while Marie watched and thought to herself.

Today was her 15th mission and also the beginning of May. It was the month that Marie will never forget. Soon she'll find clues, travel long distances, and met some new people along the way, who had also faced the same sorrow in their lives. Just like Chrono, Rosette, and Azmaria, and also met new enemies. Marie now, was kind of less thrilled of her excitement of missions. But as for Azmaria, today was her first mission after her long classes of training. Instead of shooting guns, Azmaria preferred crucifix barriers to destroy demons. That's how she passed her final test in the Magdalene Order. She happily grinned happily along the way while wearing her usual pink uniform.

"Wow, your happy today Azmaria. What's the cause?" Rosette asked.

"Well I'm traveling with you guys and I will get to help you fight bad guys along the way. That's why." She grinned again. Marie turned and happily looked at Azmaria. She was the same age as her as the day she met Chrono. It was strange for Marie herself was 16 now (her birthday was in last August, looks like Chrono didn't figure out her age correctly); it felt like the last three years passed by without even knowing. Those three years might be the times that Aion was recreating her back to life. She sighed.

"Well there goes three years without having any great memories." She thought.

"Well were here, Central Park." Rosette said as she parked along-side by the grass in the park. As everyone got out of the model T, Chrono rushed to the back and give everybody their weapons. In the distance, a demon was stomping and destroying trees in the park.

"Luckily, nobody's there." Marie said relieved.

"Yeah good thing too, heh for somebody who summoned this demon to get revenge, he sure picked a dud…he's only destroying trees!" Rosette stared at the demon weirdly.

"Well there are lots of types of demons. Ones who are smart like me and those like that don't have that much experience, like that one." Chrono pointed out. Marie laughed a bit.

"Maybe this _person_ doesn't like nature and summoned a demon to destroy it." Rosette laughed along too.

"Alright, enough jokes. Cause this demon is going down!" Rosette charged towards the demon in the park and two girls appeared in front of her.

"Wha-?" Rosette froze and stared at them. One girl who was on the right had very short dark brown hair who was wearing a red Chinese uniform silken with flames, and fishnet stockings. On the left, the girl had very long brownish red hair tied into pigtails, she also had a Chinese uniform, and this one was blue and had silken sliver waves and had no sleeves. And she wore no stockings. Rosette than shook her head and ran to the girls but both of the girls at the same time looked back at Rosette and put out their hands to make her stop.

"Don't worry; we'll take over this from here." The blue girl said. "After all, we _are_ professionals." The red girl winked.

"I summon fire!" She yelled. "Let the gold embers give me strength!" Then fire was around her, and a phoenix got out from the flames and the remains turned to a scythe. Now it was the blue girl's turn.

"I summon air! Let the sliver winds give me power!" And then the blue girl was surrounded by air, and a whirlwind bird came out from the air and the remains turned into fans. Chrono, Marie, Rosette, and Azmaria all stared in amazement.

"Take this! Fire spin!" The red girl swirled her scythe until it became a huge fire twister. She stopped spinning the scythe and let it go. Then the other girl made her fans blew towards the direction of the demon, and as it hit the demon and it span around in pain till it dropped dead in ashes. Then both girls' powers disappeared and they both gave each other a high five.

"Yes! Another demon destroyed!" The blue girl said cheerfully.

"Well, there are other demons in this world, so we've better take out each and every one of them till they will never hurt another living breathing soul again." The red one responded angrily.

"Hey you!" Rosette yelled and ran toward the two girls again.

"That was my demon to exterminate! If you just ignore me and do that, you will so pay…" The two girls turned to her and stared angrily. Rosette stepped a few inches back, a little frightened of their angry stares. The red girl stared at Chrono spaciously, and walked past Rosette and to him. Marie looked at her staring at him close, while he stared back a little nervous.

"I got a question about you, boy." The girl summoned her scythe again and pointed it closely at Chrono's face.

"As I can tell by your orra from the outside and the inside, it tells me you're demonic. You're a demon." Chrono nervousness turned to a calm state. He stared at the girl normally. While Marie on the other hand, watched if anything was bound to happen. Marie looked at the girl's ember eyes; she could easily tell that she will strike Chrono down at any moment. Then she saw the scythe quickly above and was about to strike it down to Chrono's head. Marie jerked and moved in front of Chrono. The scythe completely stopped, and the girl pulled it by her side again.

"Look, I know that Chrono is a demon…but I only knew him one year and I completely trust him. He's _way different _from the others. But if you don't believe me, you can kill us both." Marie said as she spreaded her arms halfway.

"Marie, I can handle this…" Chrono said with a pitch of anger in his voice. The girl's scythe disappeared.

"I can't hurt any of my own kind, me and sister Chel's are like that. But still…I still don't trust that _creature_. In any ways he'll be eliminated, and you won't be there to see it. I'm sorry, but there are many, many demons in this world…and I have to finish one by one so other families won't be suffered, like I've had." There was softness at the last words of her voice.

Then she angrily stared at Marie and Chrono again, while fire spun around her, and while her sister, Chel's, air spun around her as well.

"We are element summoners, and we will finish all of you, demons." Then her and her sister disappeared. Chrono sadly looked down at himself.

"That's the second time a summoner has said that to me." He whispered. "Then who was the first?" Marie asked.

"A jewel summoner, Satella." He answered. "But I and Rosette solved that problem a long time ago." Rosette walked by Marie.

"In any case, she's our friend…even after the battle we fought along-side together on a very tough mission that we had. She's out there somewhere, doing something with her richy self." She grumbled.

"What's a summoner?" Marie asked once more.

"There are only two types of summoners, the jewel summoners and the element summoners. A jewel summoner is when a person summons a magical creature out of a jewel, and kills demons, while an element summoner summons their own element with the power of their soul, and kills demons also. The jewel and element summoners where created when you and I were together back then, Marie, but then they were easily wiped off by a war with themselves and the demons during the 1900s-1920s. Sadly both of the summoners lost. As of what I've seen, I saw one jewel summoner and two elements summoners, which means that not all of them are cleared, just them three." Chrono explained.

"But what about the threat that one girl said to you?" Azmaria asked him. Chrono slowly sighed.

"As of right now, I have to keep my eyes open and watch out for anything." Chrono turned and stared both at Marie and Rosette, who were side-by-side.

"If anything happens to me, I want you guys to keep going towards your goals. With me gone or not gone, things will still be the same. Rosette, I want you to find your brother and don't give up. And Marie, I want you to travel along with her and find him and kill Aion. As I can tell Marie, you won't ever let a guy run loose after what he'd done to your family." Marie slowly frowned and yet agreed.

"What about me?!" Azmaria said. "I think you should travel along them too, after all they do need all the help they could get." Chrono smiled at her. She grinned.

Marie gripped her right hand.

"No…I won't let that summoner kill you, Chrono. She has to believe that not all demons are created equal." Chrono stared at her seriously.

"No Marie..." he said as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"This is my battle; I can take care of myself. And don't worry about me, ok? You'll only make me worried if you're worried." He grinned at her trustily. Marie slowly smiled and nodded as he let go of his hands off her.

"What now?" Azmaria wondered. Rosette ominously giggled. "Take a little break." She smiled.

~~~* * *~~~

The next day during a mission, Rosette, Marie sat on a bench while Chrono was buying hot dogs from the hot dog stand nearby.

"Too bad Azmaria didn't come; she would do well with this mission.

We need all crucifix barriers we can get." Marie said.

"Yeah but we couldn't get her up this morning. So we had no other choice but leave her to rest. And besides, Chrono is our back-up crucifix placer." She evilly grinned.

"I heard that." Chrono said while holding three hot dogs. He gave one to Rosette and stared seriously mad at her.

"You know, this is the last time I'm doing this during a mission. Next time I'll tell Sister Kate that you're goofing off again." Rosette took the hot dog.

"Well this is last time this month. Next month would be different, promise" She did a fake grin.

"Not buying it." He made an unsure face her. He walked over to Marie and grins fully and he gave her a hot dog. Marie smiled at him and took the hot dog. Whenever Chrono smiles at her it's impossible to frown at him. You will always laugh and smile back at him, no matter how you try to frown. Chrono sat by Marie and took a bite out of his hot dog. Marie just stared at hers. She never tried a hot dog before. Chrono stared at Marie with her non-bitten hot dog.

"Try it, it's good. After all they are my favorite food." Marie looked and he grinned at her again. Marie smiled back and took a bite out of her hot dog.

"Wow, now I understand why it's your favorite! It's good!" Marie said surprised as she continued eating it. "Told you." He said cheerfully. Rosette did a mad glance at Chrono from sitting on the right side of the bench.

"Sure….you will be nice to _her_, but not _me_!" She groaned. Chrono did a return funny and snobby glance and finished his hot dog. As Marie finished hers the same female voice called in her mind again, the same one who saved her from the darkness.

"Marie…." It whispered.

"In 10 seconds, the element summoner will strike Chrono down from behind the bench with him not knowing. If you want to save him, push yourself towards him when 1 second remains, the seconds start now." The voice ended.

"That voice…." Marie whispered. Then Marie counted the seconds.

"5, 4, 3, 2…1." Then Marie jolted herself towards Chrono and pushed him and her off the bench while a scythe got slammed in the bench where Chrono was sitting. Rosette stared surprised of what happened.

"Damn!" the red girl element summoner said behind the bench as she gripped her scythe out.

"Marie…." Chrono whispered to Marie as she was on top of him on the ground. Marie breathed heavily; she couldn't believe that she saved Chrono from that quick experience. If she haven't got him in time she would be dead as well.

"Thanks voice, whoever you are." She whispered in her mind. The voice gently laughed in her mind.

"Anything to help you, Marie." It faded.

The red element summoner walked towards her and Chrono, who were on the ground. Marie hugged Chrono while he tightly hugged her back. She was about to strike her scythe at Chrono, but with Marie hugging him, she didn't.

"Why won't you let him be? Do you know who you are protecting here? A demon! A creature that has blackness in their hearts, all they care about is killing! Don't you understand?" Marie looked at her angry.

"Why don't you understand!? Not all demons are created equal! But if you want to kill him for your reason, kill me with him too. There is no possible way to accomplice my goal if he's gone. So do it! I dare you to!" Marie yelled at her last words in her sentence. But the element summoner didn't do it.

"To tell you the truth, our goal is to find our friend Rosette's lost brother who was taken by a demon named Aion, who was also the one who also killed my family. I know some demons are evil, but not all. Please believe me." Marie whispered.

Before the girl element summoner said another word, she, Marie, and Chrono were blinded by a bright light that was out of nowhere. And they were in a very different place now. With them three with ugly demons that looked the same all around surrounding them.

"What the-? Was this you're doing?" The element summoner said to Chrono.

"It wasn't me." He said.

"It looks like we found the demon and his friends…" Marie said checking her pockets for guns but she found none.

"What?!?" She rashly checked again.

"I have nothing Chrono!" She panicked.

"Me ether." He said and sighed.

"Don't worry, I can do this." The summoner said. She yelled her element, but as she did nothing appeared on her hand and no fire or her phoenix. Nothing. "NO!! Why won't it work?!?" she yelled in frustration.

"Maybe because we are in a barrier! The demons must have done this so we can't fight and…" Then a huge demon attacked him from behind while he talked, and he fell while blood ran through cut from his jacket.

"Chrono!!!" Marie yelled. Then the demons kept getting closer and closer to them three.

"So is this is how it's going to end?" The summoner said sadly. "I guess I'll be with you in heaven, Rachel." The summoner cried a single tear. For the first time Marie looked at her sadly.

"Did she lose her family as well?" Marie wondered.

"Before we die, what's your name? I've wanted to ask you the first time we saw each other." The summoner asked her.

"Marie…what's yours?" Marie asked.

"Ellie, Ellie Thornbird." She answered.

The demons crept closer and closer. "I guess I'll be seeing you as well, Peter." Marie slowly cried.

Then they were covered in demons. But 5 seconds afterward, Chrono stood and pushed all the demons away with his power. Marie stared and saw she wasn't covered anymore. Then she heard a shocking noise, she looked at her pocket watch and saw that it was trying to open itself. But some of it got opened, because of Chrono when he'd push the demons away. Then more demons tried to cover them three again. Then Chrono went to a demon and ripped out their hand blade in anger and destroyed the demons that were about to attack him. Since he was soo angry, he didn't pay attention to Marie and Ellie, who were defenseless. Ellie kicked and pushed away the demons that were getting close to her and Marie.

"Damn! More and more keep coming! We need to destroy the leader who's controlling them to do this!" She yelled.

"It's that one! Up there!" Marie pointed to the demon that was standing there, alone, with his finger pointed at her and Ellie.

"Watch out!" Ellie went up to Marie who was about to be attacked by a demon. Ellie covered her arms around her face with defense. Chrono, who was in fighting in rage looked back and saw was about to be done. He quickly got to them and he replaced himself for getting hurt instead of Ellie. Ellie looked at him surprised.

"Sorry about earlier, I got caught up being mad at the demons that hurled me, instead of protecting you two." He told Ellie as he got hurt.

"Did you protect, Marie?" he asked her.

"Yes." She responded, still surprised to see a demon protecting her.

"Thank you, that will be on my list of favors of those that have to be paid off." He said. "Why? How come you are protecting me after all the nasty stuff I said to you earlier?" Ellie demanded an answer. Chrono looked back her.

"Because…" he started. "I can't let innocent people just get killed in front of me." Chrono grunted as he ripped the hand blade that was stabbing him from the demon who was hurting him, and stabbed him instead.

"Chrono, I'll focus on the demon up there! He's the one who's making this mess!" Marie pointed at the demon up ahead in the distance.

"Well I can't do it now, unless you break the seal for me!" Chrono grunted. Marie broke the seal on the watch and darkness swirl around Chrono as he changed to his true form.

Ellie looked more surprised than before. Chrono flew the demon ahead and stabbed him in the chest. "That's for you hurting me and the ones I care about!" Then he slashed him in half. Then the light appeared again and them three found themselves in Central Park again. And they saw Rosette and Chelsea in the distance looking for them.

"Rosette!" Marie called. "Chel's!" Ellie also called.

And they turned and smiled surprisingly.

"You guys!" They yelled. Then they both rushed to them. Chel's hugged Ellie while Rosette hugged Marie and Chrono (who was still in his full form). Chelsea turned and looked at Chrono amazed.

"Um…Ellie, there's a demon right there." She pointed at him.

"I know." Ellie said. "He's a good demon, after what I saw in the barrier." Chrono smiled.

"Barrier? What the heck? That's what happened?" Rosette freaked. Marie nodded.

"Were ok, we got through without any injuries, well Chrono did. But the opening of the seal healed him, which reminds me." Marie closed the seal and Chrono turned back to his small self.

"Thanks." He said.

"Welcome." Marie grinned while Chrono did the same. Ellie walked to Chrono.

"I'm sorry what I said to you earlier and what I did. So can we be friends, please?" Ellie held her hand to him. Chrono smiled, nodded and shook.

"Well at least we got the job done." Rosette said. "Marie, Ellie, and I." Chrono mentioned. "Why you!" Rosette put Chrono in a head lock and gave him a noogie. Marie, Ellie, and Chel's laughed.

"Sorry to interrupt you two but do you guys have any rooms at your place to stay? Because I and Ellie just checked out of our hotel and now we have nowhere to go, well we can check back in, but we want to come with you guys. So can we?" Chelsea asked.

Marie, Rosette, and Chrono looked at themselves and nodded. "Yes, we will be honored if you guys came." Rosette said.

"YES!" Then Ellie and Chel's gave each other a high five.


	15. Summoner's Past

**AN: Beware! In the next couple of chaps in this fanfic, you'll be spending time in flashbackville! Whoot! lol...well I hope you do like flashbacks, even if it's the one about the element summoners ^^' enjoy!**

Chapter 15 Summoner's Past

"What?" Marie said standing in the darkness of her dream. She was alone, with nobody with her. Not Rosette, not Azmaria, not Ellie, not Chrono, No one.

"I' am not afraid of the darkness." Marie said angry while gripping her hands. "This is just plain darkness, I saw true darkness before. True darkness is when somebody kills a family for no reason at all, and laughs and laughs and laughs." Marie said truthfully.

"The true darkness is Aion." Marie said angrily.

"Is that so….?" Aion's voice said through the darkness.

"Is that what you say to a demon that revived you back to life?" Marie growled in the darkness.

"Even if you did, you killed my family! And I will make you pay for that!" Marie screamed at his voice.

"Well Chrono….? Will you do the honors? For me?" Aion's voice said. In the darkness, Chrono appeared in his normal big form. He went over to Marie and gripped on her neck.

"Now Chrono, for fill your duty….as a soldier!" Aion voice said as his evil laughter echoed in the darkness. Marie looked up at Chrono, completely confused and scared. He was dark and tall, and very freighting. But he was crying through his glowing red eyes.

"Marie…." He whispered. "Marie…Marie….MARIE!!" Marie quickly woke up and yelled, "Don't do this!!!" while she pushed Chrono in the face while he was near her bed, trying to wake her up. Marie quickly got up.

"Chrono!!!" she yelled. She crouched over to him and help him sat up.

"I'm soo sorry, I was having a bad dream and….oh I'm really sorry!" She said.

"It's ok, I'm fine." Chrono said as he rubbed his cheek and Marie saw a little blood running from his mouth and nose. Without notice, Marie placed her soft hand on Chrono's face and her hand glowed with light. Then she'd let go, with Chrono's wounds completely healed.

"I'm sorr…" Chrono placed his hand on Marie's mouth.

"It's alright; all people make mistakes sometimes, even demons." He smiled.

"Just remind me to return a favor to you next time; you healed me soo much that I feel guilty not doing anything for you." Marie heard Chrono say that once before. Back when the days she first met him back in her hometown, she healed him and said that he wanted her to return a favor, after those three days passed by. She smiled at that flashback in her memory.

"You don't have to do me a favor. Now, did you come here to ask me something in particular?" Chrono laughed.

"Yeah, get up and breakfast is ready." Marie laughed as well.

"Ok be down in a sec, I need to get dressed first." She embarrassedly smiled.

~~~* * *~~~

At the breakfast table in the mess hall, every one of Marie's friends was there, even Ellie and Chelsea. This was their third time staying here in the Magdalene Order; you can tell they were happier than before. Marie grabbed a chair by Chrono and sat down with a plate of pancakes on her hands, and sat it down on the table, and begun eating quietly.

"Done." Rosette said while pushing her plate away. "Man, those pancakes were good!" She said while stretching in her chair.

Marie laughed while she ate, and so did everyone else. After everyone was done eating, they all went and sat on the usual spot on the edge of the well in the courtyard, and waited till they have to do a mission.

"So Ellie, Chel's, tell us more about yourselves." Rosette started. Ellie and Chelsea just sat there, thinking of their way to answer Rosette's question. "Well we are summoners. Element summoners." Chelsea said.

"And you probably know anyways…since the last time you saw me and Ellie from the two days we met." Everyone nodded at them two.

"But I got another question…." Rosette started again. "Why are you trying to kill all demons? I mean did one demon startle you? Or made you really ticked? Or hurt you or..."

"Rosette." Chrono said serious at Rosette.

"What?!?" Rosette yelled. Chrono looked at Ellie sad while Rosette turned and saw her lowering her head in sorrow.

"I'm sorry, let's talk about some…"

"No it's alright; I want to talk about my past." Ellie said while interrupting Rosette.

"If you want to know the reason why that me and Chelsea have been traveling around here, destroying demons, etc. I'll tell you. It began on that one morning in June, 4 years ago when we received a terrible letter…."

~~~* * *~~~

June, 1 1920. Was the year that changed the remaining of the Thornbird family. Only four element summoners remain in that family, four sisters. The oldest sister was Rachel Thornbird; she had the element of earth. The next oldest was Amy Thornbird; and she had the element of water, the next was Chelsea Thornbird; and she had the element of air, and the last and youngest sister was Ellen Thornbird; and she held the difficult element of fire.

These 4 sisters lived in San Francisco, closely to Chinatown. They owned a huge mansion in the woods outskirts of the city. The mansion was covered in vines with every flower of the rainbow on them. Rachel was one who decorated. And also the mansion had little ponds in the backyard, gardens, and other beautiful things. And yet in the end of this year it will soon fall into ash.

~~~* * *~~~

"Drip, drop, drip, drop…" Amy said sitting by the window as the thunder storm was trying to pass through. Chelsea came and sat by her and made the same noise. Thunder boomed closely, shaking the mansion. Rachel and Ellie sat by each other by the fire nearby while looking at their photo album with their parents in them, sadly.

"They haven't responded since last Christmas." Rachel whispered as she touched their mother and father's wedding picture.

"Stupid war." Ellie said. "Demons aren't supposed to be here in the first place. Why are they roaming around earth instead of in hell?" Ellie asked.

"I don't know Ellie…" Rachel said as her teardrop dropped onto the picture of their parents. "It is probably because of their stupid plans or something. Father told me that before he and our Mother left." Rachel explained.

"I hope they are ok." Ellie said sadly. Rachel gently hugged her sister.

"Me too Ellie…" she whispered. "Me too."

While they were hugging, the doorbell rung. Amy got up.

"Should I get it?" Rachel dashed from the floor, ignoring Amy's question and opened the door. As Rachel opened, nobody was there, except a white letter enveloped on the ground. She picked it up and closed the door behind her.

"Where is it from, Rachel?" Amy asked. Rachel looked at the front of the envelope and it said, "_My dear, Rachel_." Rachel thought for a sec, she didn't recall having a boyfriend. She quickly opened the letter and ran from her sisters who were crowding over her to read. Word by word her eyes grew wider and wider. She crumbled the letter, trying to throw it in the fire but missed. She opened the front door again and ran outside in the pouring rain. She screamed cuss words and yelled,

"I'll make sure you'll all die, and make you drench in your own blood!!"

Ellie looked at her sister worriedly and walked back to the letter that she had crumbled and read it. While Chel's and Amy came over to read it as well. It said:

_Dear Rachel and the rest of the Thornbird family,_

_Let me introduce myself, my name is Aion the Sinner. And I got wonderful news to share to you. I killed your beloved mother and father. And now after you read that sentence, I bet you all want to kill me this very second. And you will have that chance. Near the very end of the year, I will bring an army of demons and myself to battle with all of you. But anyways I __WILL__ win and end this silly war._

_Yours truly,_

_Aion the Sinner_

_P.S. Don't try to hide the younger siblings because I __WILL__ find them._

At the end of the letter, Ellie was now frightened and mad at the same time, probably the same way that Rachel was feeling at the moment. She turned and dropped the letter on the ground and watched Rachel by the doorway cry in complete sorrow outside, in the tearful rain.


	16. Charm

Chapter 16 Charm

November, 30 1920. Ellie sighed and looked at her window, watching her 2 older sisters practice their element till the time comes when army of demons appear along with Aion, the one who killed their parents. Ellie thought back of the letter he'd sent months ago and growled.

"He's the _complete murderer_ of sisterhood." Ellie whispered angrily. Then a little knock tapped her door.

"Come in." Ellie said like she wanted not to be disturbed. Chelsea peeked and walked in.

"Ellen…" she said calmly. "Rachel told me before she went to practice that we should do our homeschooling work." Ellie looked back at the window.

"Who cares about our stupid homeschooling junk! We've been doing that crap all year long! What's really important now is that we had never spent time with our sisters since early summer. But since we got that stupid letter at the end of that day, all what Rach and Amy been doing is practice day after day after day, from dawn to dusk. Right now, I just want to kill that demon that sent that horrid letter to us. He's not just ruined our sisterhood; he made our sisters different too! Rachel used to be care-free and happy and look at her now! When I talk to her she's all worn out and serious. Now I hate demons! I HATE THEM!!!" Ellie screamed.

Chelsea went by her and hugged while Ellen cried on her shoulder. "I hate demons too, Ellie…I do too."

~~~* * *~~~

As days passed, it was near the end of December. Snow had fallen from the snowy skies and covered the sorrowful mansion. The vines that used to be full of life were brown and dry, the garden was the same. And the pond was frozen solid. Today was the day after Christmas. All the Thornbirds did yesterday was receiving presents and ate a huge feast, but after Rachel and Amy ate, they did their normal schedule and practiced their elements to prepare for the attack. All of this made Ellie sadder than ever before. This was the month that Ellie haven't spoke with ether of her sisters in a long time.

Right now, it was dusk. Ellie traveled to her room and locked the door. With her fire element, she shot fireballs of where her candles in her room are. Now it smelt like vanilla and lavender. She walked by her window and pulled her black curtains and looked below. She saw Rach practicing earth while she controlled a vine and whipped it as hard as she could. Then Amy came in while holding a bucket of water and practiced by making whips out of it too. Ellie grew mad and knocked her fist at the window. Rachel overheard, and she turned and waved. Ellie made an angry glare and then closed the curtains.

Then she went to her bed and saw Chel's wrapped present on top of her bed. She grabbed it, and unwrapped. It was book. "_Pride and Prejustice_, huh?" Ellie looked at the first page and saw something written in pen. It was Chel's little note. It said:

_I heard that this book was one of the best written books so far, I' am sure that it will keep you from getting upset from what's happing now (you know) Well just read it, ok? And Merry Christmas!_

_Your friend/sister_

_Chel's _

Ellie smiled and then closed the book. She whispered a laugh. "Thanks Chel's, just what I needed at a time like this. A book. Well, I'll read it just for _you_." Then a knock was heard.

"Come in." Ellie said. And then Rachel came from the door. Ellie frowned.

"What is it?" She grumbled. Rachel came and sat by Ellie on her bed with a worried expression on her face.

"Is everything alright, Ellie?" she asked with her voice tired out from practicing. Ellie turned her head and ignored her.

"Ellen, I won't leave till you tell me what the problem is." Ellie turned back and sighed.

"It's just that you haven't talked to me like this since June, I miss you very much, Rach…. I want you to talk to me more, were like best friends." Ellie said sadly.

"I'm very sorry, Ellie. But I must protect you from those…"

"Bastards." Ellie finished her sentence.

"Yes, and you are very young to battle along-side me and Amy. And I worry that you'll get hurt; if something happened to you it will kill me automatically, because you're like my best friend too." Rachel gave a short hug to Ellie.

"Thanks." Ellie whispered. Rachel smiled.

"Cheer up!" she shook her. But Ellie just sat there with no emotion.

"How can you say that if that murderer will show up at any second now?" Ellie whispered again.

Rachel frowned. She undid something at the back at her neck and gave Ellie a necklace. The chain and the charm was all pure gold, the charm was a bird carrying a thorned rose.

"I want you to have this." Rachel said seriously.

"But why?" Ellie said completely concerned. Rachel sighed and looked more serious than before.

"Because Ellie, once I go out there…I feel like I'm not coming back. And I want somebody to continue our tradition by passing this charm down. What's so neat about it is that it resembles our last name. And I want you to continue the family for me. So please, when you find somebody you love and have kids, pass it down to the next and tell them to pass it down to their kids. It will make me happy if you and Chelsea continued our family and won't get killed like the other element and jewel summoners. I want you two to be the last survivors." Ellie looked at her wide-eyed.

"What are you saying!? I don't want you to die!!! Please Rach, don't say that kinda stuff yet! You will never die!" Ellie yelled loud. Rachel laughed.

"Ellie, nobody can live forever." Ellie grew tears and cried on Rach's shoulder. And Rachel patted and rubbed her back to comfort her.

"Please don't cry." Rachel whispered to her. "I'll try to do my best to kill every demon possible. And I'll kill this 'Aion' for all of us, our parents, and the rest of the element and jewel summoners that died from him." Ellie calmed down for that period till she talked again.

"But if I don't succeed, will you promise me that you will become stronger and finish him off yourself?" Ellie nodded while still on Rachel's shoulder. After 5 minutes of silence, Rachel stood up while Ellie sat there half-drowsy.

"Let's go make a fire downstairs and look at our photo albums." Rachel said yawning a bit. Ellie nodded and got up and followed. Along the way, she putted Rach's charm on herself and sighed.

"If only we were a normal family…then this wouldn't happen to us."


	17. Slain

**AN: Beware! It's a loooong chappie....lol**

Chapter 17 Slain

"Rachel! Rachel!" A familiar voice called. "Hmm…?" Ellie moaned on the couch and sat up. She looked at the clock that was above the fireplace. It was 4:23 am.

"Rachel!" Amy's voice called from the steps. She rushed down and ran towards the kitchen. Her voice was scared and worried. Ellie quickly got off the couch and ran to the kitchen as well.

"Wait, Ellie!" Chel's called behind, running as well.

"What's wrong with Amy?" She asked running along-side Ellie. "I don't know, but we will find out soon enough." While running, Ellie glanced at something outside from the window. Ellie quickly lifted the curtains and stared in horror.

"What is it, Ellie?" Chel's asked, while she looked out the window also.

"Oh…my….God…" Chelsea said slowly. Out the window was thousands or millions of demons flying and marching towards the mansion, in the front was a man in white hair, wearing a white jacket, and had glasses. Ellie could see the man was ominously smiling directly at her.

"Who's that guy? In the front?" Chelsea said frightened.

"Well to my opinion…" Ellie said while looking at the man in white who led the army of demons. "I think it's that damned murderer…Aion." She said while she made an angry glare at the sight of him beyond the window.

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING!?!?" Rachel said running from the kitchen. She rashly put the curtains back where they were and grabbed Ellie's and Chel's hands and ran by the entrance of the basement while Amy followed behind.

"Ellie, you're killing time for us if you look out the window like that!" She yelled at her.

"I'm sorry…" Ellie started tearing up. Rachel made a sad face and hugged her younger sister.

"No, I'm sorry." Rachel whispered. Then all 4 of them heard the cries and shouts from the demons outside.

"Damn! They're getting closer…" Rachel said. Then she crouched to Ellie and Chel's.

"Ok, right now I want you guys to go downstairs and stay away from any windows and hide somewhere, where the demons can't see you. But if that plan fails, I want you to fight for your life. Use your element if you have to. Please I want you guys to be safe…promise me, please…" Rachel said with complete seriousness. Ellie and Chel's slowly nodded.

"Can I have one last hug before you go, sisters?" Ellie asked. Rach and Amy nodded and grouped up together to have one last hug, together. The demon shouts got closer and closer.

"Ok guys, go!" Chelsea and Ellie nodded as they rushed downstairs. While Rachel and Amy walked up to the main door and transformed into their uniforms and held their weapons, a samurai sword and a staff. Then their element birds flew above them and gently landed on their shoulders. "Are you ready? Rach?" Amy asked her. Rach closed her eyes and thought. "Yes, more than I've ever been before."

Then both Rachel and Amy opened the door, and beyond was an army of demons, waiting impatiently to attack, except for one. That one man all wearing white with gleaming glasses. Rachel and Amy walked halfway and stared at the creatures before them. The guy in white stepped closer to them, inspecting those two.

"Where is Chelsea and Ellen Thornbird?!" He said angrily. Rachel and Amy didn't respond. The man laughed.

"Haha…you just ignored the end of my letter did you? I _HATE_ it when people do that! Sinner Nate!" The man called. Then a dark like figure flew above the demon crowd and landed by the man. Nate was all dressed black and he had chains hanging from his clothing, and he had two pointy black horns and huge black wings. His hair was a deep brown and had very, very dark maroon eyes. "Yes, Lord Aion." He answered.

"I want you to go in the mansion and find those two younger sibs for me." The man known as Aion said. Nate bowed.

"It will be done." He sighed after he spoke. Then he flew and broke into one of the mansion's windows. "Now…" Aion said with an evil smile.

"…Where were we?"

~~~* * *~~~

As Nate got in the mansion, he was in the middle of the living room. Looking and searching for the two younger sisters. "If I were human and young, scared and try to hide from a demon…where would I hide?" Nate putted his hand on his chin. Then he spotted a door on the wall that led downstairs.

"Yeah, I could picture myself hiding down there." He flew to the door and opened it, and fled downstairs. He listened to hear any heartbeats, whispers, or breathing. But he heard nothing. "Well I better search before I go upstairs again." He shrugged. He looked under blankets, couches, a bed that was down there and etc. Then he walked over to a coat closet that was near the bathroom. He slowly opened it and there he saw Ellie and Chel's staring with a frightened look on their faces.

"Stay back Chelsea!" Ellie yelled while she shot fire at Nate in the chest. "Ouch…soo uncalled for!!" he fell to the floor with pain.

"Come on Chel's!" Ellie grabbed her hand and was about to run towards the steps. "No! Please wait!" Nate said as he was getting up.

"I promise I won't hurt you!" he said. Ellie and Chelsea stared at him with confusing looks.

"A demon not hurting a human!?!? That's impossible!" Chelsea said.

"I know, but before your parents died, they told me out of all demons out there to help you guys. I refused at first but their words were soo sorrowful and meaningful that I can't refuse." Nate reached his hand out to the two confused sisters.

"I promise you that I will protect you two at any cost." Nate said truthfully. Ellie was about to shake his hand but she had second thoughts.

"What about our sisters out there? Will you protect them as well?" Ellie asked.

"I'll try, but with Aion out there…he'll kill me if I saw me helping you two. But I'll try at least." Ellie did a short smile at him, and then frowned.

"Ellie…." Chelsea said worried.

"I know but we need all the protection we could get." Then Ellie shook Nate's hand.

"But promise you'll _leave_ after this?" Chelsea asked. Nate nodded.

"As you wish." Then out of nowhere demonic energy balls blasted through the windows that were up in the basement and the room started to grew with fire.

"Shit! Aion must have gotten impatient with me trying to find you guys." Nate said worried.

"Don't worry, I got..." Ellie started. Then Nate heard demon noises coming close to the basement.

"Come with me!" Nate commanded them. He rushed to the closet that Ellie and Chelsea were hiding in and went in there, closed the door, and he hovered his wings over Ellie, Chel's, and himself so the demons won't notice he was in there. Ellie gulped as she heard the closet door open. She sat frozen.

"Nope Viede, they're not in here." A male demon voice said.

"Can't find them either, who knows…Nate is a type of guy who likes to kill for himself, Genai, he probably flew away somewhere and killed the two sibs." The one known as Viede answered.

"Yeah you're right, let the guy have some fun for himself." Genai answered while he slammed the closet door. Nate listened for the sinners voices fade away and he slowly opened the closet door seeing nobody but fire.

"Come on out." He said to Ellie and Chelsea. As they got out, Ellie pushed away fire while they reached the steps.

"I'll wait here. I don't want Aion seeing me with you two." Nate said.

"Thank you for not letting us get caught by those demons." Chel's smiled. "Never mind that, you guys have to focus on helping your sisters before it's too late!" Nate commanded them. Ellie and Chelsea nodded as they ran up the steps.

~~~* * *~~~

"Amy!" Rachel screamed while Aion had her sister in his clutches and squeezed her neck till there was gushing blood. Then Aion dropped her on the ground, with Amy motionless.

"Rest in peace, Amy." Aion said ominously.

"AMY!!!!" Rachel yelled seeing the horror of what Aion did. She rushed to her and hugged her corpse body.

"NOOO!!!" She screamed and cried at once.

"You'll pay for this...SINNER!!!" Rachel's sword appeared in her hand while she quickly sat up and was about to stab Aion in the chest. But Aion quickly dodged and looked at Rachel like she was a worthless opponent. When Rachel charged back at him, Aion grabbed her just in time. Then Rachel's earth bird appeared and tried to attack Aion, to protect her. But Aion's eagle tackled her bird just in time and killed it on the ground.

Aion laughed while he strongly hugged Rachel, while she tried to break free from this monster. "Looks like you've wasted all of your element power in your soul. How very sad…and yet, I was expecting a little more of a challenge for me. I gave you a _year_ to practice…and this is _all _I get!?" Aion gripped her more and more with each word he spoke.

"You'll see…" Rachel laughed while Aion was crushing her in pain.

"If you think you'll just kill me here and now without any more problems in the future…you're wrong!" Rachel said.

"Cause one of my little sisters has the most powerful element in this family, and she'll kill you and _make sure_ your sorry!" Rachel growled. Aion responded with another laugh.

"Yeah, I would like to see that! I kill her before she'll get me for sure." Aion released his arm that was wrapped around Rachel and turned it into a hand blade. He placed the tip of the blade on Rachel's back, while she just glared at Aion with the angriest look she ever made.

"I want to do one more thing before I kill you." Aion said with complete evilness. He lowered his head to Rachel's lips while he frenched kissed her in full force. Rachel tried to pull away from his disgusting lips but he forced her into him. Then out of nowhere rushing pain was placed on her back while Aion stabbed her. Then he let go of her lips,

"Thank you Rachel, for the kiss." Then he dropped her like a rag doll, she grunted in pain to the ground.

"Oh and don't worry about Chelsea and Ellie…" Aion smiled below. "I will take care of them…" He laughed.

"I hope you rot in hell!" Then Rachel slowly drifted into darkness and died.

~~~* * *~~~

As Ellie and Chel's got up from the steps they rashly broken down the fiery door that led them to the basement. Chelsea looked back, worried.

"Nate will be ok Chelsea, after all demons _used_ to live in fire." Then Ellie and Chelsea stood in front of the doorway and looked ahead in horror.

Ahead were two of their sister's corpse bodies lying on the ground motionless while Aion stood there alone in the middle of the yard while little flames surrounded him.

"No…" Ellie whispered.

"NO!" She rushed to two of her sister's bodies and hugged them and cried loudly.

"NOOOO!!!" Ellie screamed. Chelsea walked up to her.

"No, Chel's…leave me alone." Ellie said with anger.

"But..." Chelsea said, wanting to stay by her side.

"No! If you stay here…there will be a 90% chance that you'll get burned. Now go back!" Ellie screamed.

Chelsea rashly went back to the almost fire covered mansion. Ellie stood up with her ruby eyes flaring at Aion. He smiled at her.

"Heh, this may be the battle I'm looking for." He chuckled.

"Aion…" Ellie said his name with complete hatred.

"Do you know what happens when you play with my feelings and torture my family?" Ellie scythe appeared on her hands while her giant phoenix flew from the fire that was surrounding the lawn. "You'll get hurt, just like you get burned from FIRE!!!!" While Ellie's rage grew, so did the fire bits from the lawn. The flames flew over the top like buildings and surrounded her and Aion. Like a barrier to keep them in.

"Heh, welcome to my little fire chamber, Aion. Even if you're used to these flames, you still won't escape from my weapon!" Ellie charged at Aion, who was still in the same stance as before, and tried to attack him. But Aion dodged every single attack you throw at him. Right, left, up, down, he escaped every attack.

But Ellen wouldn't give up. She jumped backwards into the fire and appeared right at Aion back and tried to strike him. But he dodged. But while he moved, he caught a cut from her scythe on his cheek. After her last move the fire, the phoenix, and her scythe disappeared all in one second. Ellie fell down on her knees on the ground, exhausted. Aion walked up to Ellie while he clapped his hands.

"Bravo, encore!" he said. "You're the first person to ever give me a wound tonight." Ellie looked at him still disgusted.

"Haha…You know what's funny? After all the training your sisters did, they didn't hurt me at all! But you, who didn't practice, actually gave me a wound!" He laughed. "It's like a bad joke!"

Ellie grabbed her charm and breathed heavily in pain. Without noticing Aion placed his hand on Ellie's chin, and made her look at him.

"I like you, Ellen Thornbird. I _really_ do. And for that, I won't kill you and your sister." Ellie stared at him confused.

"I want to see your true power is, when we'll meet again I'm positive that you'll be better than this time, and we will have this wonderful battle. Like the one tonight." He smirked as he let go of Ellie's chin.

"I'm…not…done with you…yet!" Ellie struggled. Aion smiled ominously like he done before.

"Sorry Ellie, in this position you look like you don't have the strength. Plus, I have a tight schedule from my little _friend_ in the past. Till me meet again, sweet Ellen, till we meet again."

Aion changed to his true form and flew off.

"No!" Ellie yelled as she got up and ran but she fell again.

"Stupid soul…why won't you be stronger!" she grunted.

"Ellen!" Chelsea and Nate called as they ran to her. Nate grabbed a hold of her and held her in his arms. Nate looked at her.

"She blanked out; I think she won't be waking up anytime soon. I can feel her soul, It feels soo small." Nate placed Ellie on the couch in the living room. The only thing not burned.

"She needs time to recuperate. In the mean time you need to stay with her." He explained.

"What? You're leaving? Now?" Chelsea said sadly. "Yeah because you said to, plus I need to. Aion would wonder where I' am and I don't want him to come here again. I need to find a way to destroy him somehow." He said.

"Chrono was right about him." He whispered after what he'd said before. Then he walked off by the doorway.

"Wait!" Chel's yelled while she rushed to grab his hand, he turned back.

"Yes?" He wondered.

"I want to say thanks for helping us today. I hope that you'll come back and see us one more time." Chelsea grinned. Nate grinned back.

"You're welcome and sure, I'll come back." Then he flew to the doorway and into the ashy starred sky. While Chelsea watched till he was no longer seen.

~~~* * *~~~

"Heh." Aion shortly chuckled at the sky, and looked at the blood red moon that was ahead of him. He smiled ominously. Nearby Nate flew and landed right beside him.

"Welcome back, Nate. It seems you had trouble finding the younger sisters." Nate lowered his head.

"Come, come…those Thornbirds _can_ be tricky." He laughed. Nate ignored Aion's evil laugher and sighed. "It took me forever to find you. Why are you in Michigan anyway?" Nate asked.

"Didn't I tell you that _traitor _has awakened?" Nate looked surprised.

"You mean Chrono?" He asked.

"Yes and that idiot has fallen in love with _another_ girl. Heh, but at least that girl has a smart brother." Aion smiled. Nate stood shocked.

"What did you do to him!?" He asked worried.

"I simply gave him Chrono's horns; after all…all that the boy wanted was to be strong." Nate stared at him completely mad.

"Why would you place horns on a child, Aion?!? Doing that will…"

"Shhh..." Aion interrupted him.

"If you become like that stupid Chrono, I will take your horns off as well. After all he's perfect for our little plan." Aion giggled.

Nate sighed again as he saw something caught his eye in the sky. It was Chrono in his true form, and he was carrying a little girl as they passed through the red moon.


	18. Pursuer

**AN: Another long chapter ^^' sorry I love to type...**

Chapter 18 Pursuer

The next day, Marie yawned and got out under her covers. This was the first time that she hasn't dreamed in awhile. And she was happy about that. Every time she dreamt, somebody always hurts her or somebody she really cares about disappears from her. She smiled while she got dressed for her day and took a little peek at the clock that was hanging above her mirror. She froze in shock.

"12:00!?!? Wow I did oversleep…" She quickly grabbed her pocket watch that was on her nightstand and ran down to the mess hall. Nobody was there till Marie found somebody she knew finishing off breakfast, it was Chrono. Marie waved hello to him as she came and sat by him.

"Wow, eating breakfast this late?" Marie asked. Chrono laughed a little.

"Yeah, I kind of had a bad dream last night." Marie looked sadly at him.

"I'm sorry…are you ok now?" Marie asked worried. "Yeah, I'm fine…It was just a bad flashback that I had in the past. But after I woke last night, I promised myself…that I'll never let you get hurt again." Chrono said.

"It was about me?" Chrono nodded.

"It was when Aion killed you." Marie closed her eyes and remembered that horrified night. She remembered the pain in her chest, Chrono's sad eyes, and Aion's evil laughter. Then Marie turned and faced the table.

"Did you have a bad dream too?" Chrono asked while he ate his blueberry muffin. Marie turned back to him. "Well, not last night but before that." Marie blurted.

"I was surrounded by darkness, and Aion words echoed the darkness. He wanted to kill me again. And then he called you for your help and you came and griped the hold of my neck. You were dark and tall, and very frightening, but tears flowed out of your glowing red eyes chanting my name sadly." Marie explained. Chrono froze. He looked like he was about ready to drop his muffin.

"Uh...You ok?" Marie said worried.

"Marie…" he sounded serious.

"I would _never ever_ harm you. And I will _never_ help Aion, after all he's done to you, Rosette, Ellie, and Chelsea, I won't." Marie frowned. And she remembered what Aion did to her friends. He toke Rosette's brother away, and killed the Thornbird family like he'd done with hers and many other families. Aion was _indeed_ the antichrist. Marie sighed.

"Great I was soo in a happy mood and now I'm all gloomy! Yeah thanks a lot Chrono." Marie putted her head on the table and groaned.

"Oh, Marie…" Chrono said cheerfully. Marie moaned.

"What?" she grumbled. She lifted her head and saw Chrono all smiley.

"I' am sorry that I made you mad and gloomy…" he started singing. Marie just stared at him like he's been drinking.

"Sooo I hope that you will forgive me. And I will keep singing till you are laughing…" Marie tried to hold her laughter but she laughed. Then Chrono laughed along with her.

"Ok, Chrono…I'm not sad anymore." She said lowering her laugh. But Chrono sang again, making Marie laugh more. Chrono loved her laugh; it was one of his favorite things to hear. After the singing and laughter, Chrono handed Marie his extra muffin.

"Here, you can't fight any bad demons on an empty stomach." He grinned while Marie took the muffin.

"Thanks." She returned a smile. After Marie was done, a sister walked into the mess hall and told her and Chrono to report to Sister Kate's office for a mission. Then Marie and Chrono dashed to the next building, where her office was held.

~~~* * *~~~

"What are taking those two soo long?!?" Sister Kate grumpily said from her desk. Rosette, Azmaria, Ellie, and Chelsea quietly took steps back from the grumpy nun.

"Is she _always_ like this?" Ellie whispered to Rosette.

"Yep…" She sighed. "It gets worse than this though." Then, Marie and Chrono quickly opened the office door and stepped in front of Sister Kate's desk, like everyone else.

"I'm sorry we are late, I kind of tripped on the way here…And you know Chrono, he always wants to check if his friends are alright. Heh heh." Marie did a fake laugh.

Sister Kate said nothing but made a glare at Chrono. Marie looked at Sister Kate confused. "Why is she mad at him? I was the one who tripped." Marie thought. Chrono sighed sadly.

"Ok, back to business." Sister Kate said, returning to her normal state.

"In Manhattan, I heard there was a major crisis. A group of demons disguised as humans, taken people hostage at the Dragonfly Inn hotel. I don't know why but I want all of you six to do the job and take care of those _creatures_." Sister Kate made another glare at Chrono again.

"But before you do, I shall put you in groups. Rosette, now your grouping with Azmaria, Ellie and Chelsea you remain the same, and Marie and Chrono you're a group. Any problems, tell me now."

Rosette wanted to tell Sister Kate that she wanted to be with Chrono still, but she realized that Marie was Chrono's contractor now. If anything happened to Marie then Chrono will go on a mad rampage like before. Rosette looked at Marie for a sec and then looked back at Sister Kate.

"Ok, I expect you to do your best. Now you are excused." Everyone nodded at Sister Kate. "Yes ma'am!" Then all of them begun running out of her office to start on the mission.

~~~* * *~~~

"Sorry…" Marie said embarrassed. "After watching Rosette drive, I thought it will be easy. But I guess I need to practice more." Marie said as her and Chrono switched places in their model T.

"It's ok, I drove once and I done badly. But Rosette let me practice more so if anything happened, I could drive." He smiled as he got in the driver's seat. Marie smiled back as he started the car. He drove off the crooked position that Marie parked and drove back on the main road. Marie looked at herself stupid, seeing Chrono (in his small form, who he looked like thirteen years old) driving for her while she looked _older_ than him. She let out a sigh. Then a question that came up before, came in her mind, she turned to Chrono who was facing the road.

"Chrono, I want to ask you something." Marie asked.

"Yes? What is it?" he said concerned and he looked both at Marie and the road.

"Why does Sister Kate give you those glares? I mean, you didn't do anything bad." Chrono face softened.

"She does that because I'm a demon." He sighed while he drove.

"Sister Kate hates demons in all of her heart and soul. She'll never trust a being like I am." He said answering Marie's question again.

"I trust you." Marie said softly. "Even if you are a demon, I still do." Marie said, trying to make Chrono happy again.

"Thanks Marie, I needed to hear that." He sounded normal.

"Do you trust me?" Marie asked Chrono, once again. Chrono looked back at Marie, weirdly. Couldn't believe she said that.

"Of course I do…Ever since we met on day one, I always did." Marie smiled at his comment.

"Just making sure…" Finally Chrono got to their destination. He parked in-between Rosette's and Ellie's car, perfectly. As we got out of the car, Rosette was walking back and forth impatiently.

"Come on, I wanna kick some demon butt today!" Rosette whined. Chrono sighed angrily as he got his weapon pack out of the trunk of his car. He gave Marie, Rosette, and Azmaria their weapons.

"If you guys need any backup weapons, just come by me and I give you some." Chrono said to the element sisters. "Alright." They both agreed.

"Come on, let's go!" Rosette said as she dashed to the demon infested hotel.

"Any reasons why does she want to destroy demons today?" Marie asked Chrono. "I don't know…" He hopelessly sighed.

~~~* * *~~~

As everyone got in the hotel, it was pitch black inside. Ellie squinted and spotted a few candles in the room, and she shot fireballs of where they were located. As the room was lit, everyone stared at the floor and gasped. On the floor were the dead hostages.

"Why would anybody do a thing like this? These people didn't do anything wrong." Marie said sadly. She thought back of when her brother was slained by Aion, he didn't do anything wrong.

"Why would demons kill for no reason at all?" Marie thought sad and madly. Rosette growled. And without a second thought, she ran up the grand stairway that was in the lobby of the hotel.

"Rosette!" Chrono called. But she was no longer seen and didn't respond.

"I hate it when she's stubborn! The huge hotel has no power, and one of the demons here might grab her in the darkness." Chrono toke Marie's hand and rushed up the steps as well.

"Hello?!? What about us?!?" Ellie yelled. "Just search the area down there!" Chrono yelled as he and Marie disappeared while charging upstairs.

~~~* * *~~~

"Ughhh…stupid demons! Why do they have to turn off the power?!? I mean, is the elevator more quick and easy?!?" Marie and Chrono sat down exhausted on the 15th floor of the hotel.

"I know…" Chrono slowly inhaled. Then he got up and grabbed Marie's hand.

"Let's go Marie. I think Rosette is at the penthouse. We've checked each hallway and couldn't find her. I bet she's there." Marie got up slowly.

"Yeah…" While Chrono got close to the next stairway, he stopped. Marie who wasn't paying attention, bummed right into him and fell.

"Oh, sorry Marie." Chrono helped her up.

"Why did we stop?" Marie asked. Chrono quickly closed her mouth with his hand and he and she laid low on the floor.

"Somebody's coming." He whispered to her. Chrono was right; somebody was walking to them from the beginning of the hallway. It continued and continued to walk till it tripped on them.

"OUCH!!!" A familiar voice yelled. It was Rosette.

"Oh it's _you_ Rosette." Chrono said relieved. "I thought you were one…"

Rosette spotted him and gave him a noogie.

"You dumb Dora! I'm not one of those stupid demons!" Rosette said squishing Chrono's head some more. "Ouch!!! I'm sorry!!!" Chrono yelled. Rosette dropped him.

"Ow…." He said rubbing his sore head. "Here." Marie helped him up. "Thanks Marie." He smiled at her. Then Chrono stared into space with a serious look.

"I sense it, the demonic orra. It's coming closer." He said worriedly.

"Rosette." Rosette looked at Chrono, worried as well.

"Yes?" she answered.

"Take Marie and yourself in one of the rooms in this hallway. I'm going to settle this." Rosette grabbed a grip of Marie's arm.

"Let's go!" Rosette rushed to the door that was by them and made it inside, and then she made a crack, barely closing door. To see what's going on. Marie wanted to tell Chrono at least for her to open the seal, but she thought the demons might hear her. At least she has to break his promise for letting her open the seal without telling him. But when things looked like they're going to get ugly, she will have to open it. She had no other choice.

"Well well well…why it isn't Chrono the Sinner." A voice was heard at the end of the hall. Marie saw Chrono's face get angry. Then Marie and Rosette saw the demon coming closer to Chrono. He looked young and handsome in a way but still, he was a murderer.

"Hello Pursuer Semaj." Chrono growled.

"Why soo mad Chrono? Did I beat you up hard the last time? Hmmm?" He questioned him. Chrono stared and said nothing.

"I'm sorry Chrono I had too. After all you did _kill_ my best friends, killer of a hundred million." Semaj growled. Chrono changed the subject.

"Where are the other pursuers and why did you kill all the hostages?" He demanded. Semaj smiled.

"Heh, there is no other pursuers you fool, I was the only one who done this. I killed those people because I wanted to." He evily chuckled.

Chrono's face turned completely mad. "And you wanna know why? I killed them because of the rage after you killed my friends' years ago. And I've been doing this ever since."

Marie looked shocked. She did know Chrono was a Sinner a long time ago, but she never knew Chrono will ever do something like that.

"Now I know why Chrono left, it was because of this. Chrono never likes to see things die, _ever_." Marie thought as she continually looked through the crack of the door, while Rosette was doing the same.

Then Semaj glanced at the door where Marie and Rosette was behind in. He rushed to it and toke the door down. He stared at Marie and Rosette, and he smiled evily.

"I see you have some friends spying on me." He continued to look at them.

"Leave them alone Semaj! I'm the one you want!" Chrono yelled.

"Now now, Chrono…let me play with your friends a little bit." He turned and smiled evilly at him.

"Now what's your name?" Semaj bent down and played his index finger on Marie's chin. Marie nervously grabbed her pocket watch and waited for the opportune moment for Semaj to get away from her.

"Marie." She said nervously.

"Marie? Ah, what a beautiful name that is." Then quickly he grabbed Marie and stood up. Chrono looked furious.

"I'm sorry for taking one of your friends Chrono. But this woman interests me somehow." He chuckled.

"LET HER GO!!" Chrono growled. Then Semaj laughed. "If you want her soo badly then come get me." Marie laughed.

"What's soo funny?" Semaj asked.

"It's just you are going to die soon enough." She answered as she opened her pocket watch. Then Chrono was swirling with darkness and changed into his true form. Then he aimed at Semaj, keeping a straight aim so he wouldn't hit Marie, and Chrono grabbed her and placed her down by him.

"Thanks." Marie said smiling a bit.

"Marie, just keep Rosette and yourself in the distance. But mostly you, I think that Semaj is on to you of that you have powers." Marie nodded and took Rosette's hand and dashed off in the room they were hiding in before.

Then out of the blue, Chrono forced Semaj out and made a hole in the building. And then the whole battle began outside.

"C'mon." Rosette said as her and Marie looked out from the hole. Outside was the dusk of Manhattan almost turning the painted sunset into dark. In the distance, Chrono and Semaj fight. Looking like two golden fireworks having a war.

"Chrono the Sinner, The Broken Horn, The Ascending demon…he has many names…" Rosette whispered to herself.

"But either name you chose he's a demon at heart, and he'll always fight for the good side." Rosette smiled.

Marie looked at her pocket watch, moving at normal speed and glowing as it did. "Hmm strange how I don't feel pain whenever I open this." Marie whispered.

"Hey guys!" Ellie, Chelsea, and Azmaria said as they got up from the 15 staircases of horror.

"Hey." Marie and Rosette both said.

"What's going on?" Ellie asked. Marie pointed outside of where Chrono and Semaj were fighting.

"Wow, it's the first time I saw him in action like this." Ellie responded.

"Yeah but I'm worried." Marie said while gripping her pocket watch. Then Semaj made a powerful attack of which slammed Chrono deeply in the high hotel building. And the whole building shook for Marie, Rosette, and the others.

"Chrono!" Marie screamed at the edge of the broken hole in the wall.

"Watch out!!" Chelsea pushed Marie and Rosette out of the way as a blast of yellow energy passed through the middle of the hotel building.

"Muhahahaha…" Evil laughter filled the air.

"Heh, just watch Chrono as I destroy your beloved friends!" Semaj yelled as he pointed his hand at the building exactly where everyone was at.

"Not when I'm here!" Rosette yelled as she went through her green bag on her side and grabbed four small crosses. Then she rashly placed each cross across the hallway and it made a crucifix barrier. And as Semaj shot, the barrier inflected it.

"NO!" Semaj yelled. Then Chrono came out and shot blue energy power at him and yet attack him again over again.

"I'm going to make sure a pursuer like you dies, Semaj!" Chrono grunted. "I would love to see you try…" Then he kicked Chrono off of him. Back in the broken down hotel, the barrier disintegrated and the floor kept moving hazardly.

"We have to get out of here!" Azmaria yelled as the floor moved some more.

"Not a problem!" Then Chel's made a huge wind bird, awaiting them in the sky. Without any second thoughts, everyone got on the bird and took off. While in the distance the building kinda collapsed in half. But at least it didn't fall all the way. Rosette sighed in relief.

"Finally the one day that the building didn't crash." She said. But Chrono grabbed Semaj and threw him through the broken hotel and collapsed. Rosette stared completely freaked out.

"What the freak!?!?" she yelled. She turned to Chrono in anger.

"CHRONO AFTER YOU'RE DONE WITH THIS BATTLE, I'M SOO GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!!!" Chrono turned to her.

"WELL I'M SOO SORRY!!!" He yelled back. Then Semaj attacked Chrono again.

"This is going nowhere! I need to help him finish it!" Ellie said as she was preparing a fireball. But Marie stopped her.

"Don't they're going soo fast you might hit Chrono." Then Ellen sighed and her fireball disappeared.

"But Ellen does have a point Marie, Chrono and Semaj will keep on fighting. They are equally matched, soo we have to do something." Rosette insisted.

"Like what?" Marie asked.

"Like using your powers." Rosette smiled. "Rosette, I can't do that unless somebody I care and trust is hurt. That's how my power works."

Meanwhile as Chrono and Semaj were fighting in the air, with their hand-blades clashed together, struggling of who was stronger.

"Try your best Sinner! I will kill you after what you done years ago, and after I'll kill you, I promise I'll take care of your Marie girl too." Then Semaj evilly giggled.

Chrono looked at him furious. "I won't let a bastard like you touch her!" Then Chrono slashed Semaj's hand-blade and pushed him away. But Semaj got up and made his hand-blade appear and stabbed him in the chest.

"Heh, finally I got you back of you did!" Then Semaj out his blade out of Chrono and pushed him away, falling down, while Marie watched in horror.

"No…NO!!!" Marie yelled. Then she became to glow a bright gold, and two beautiful gold wings appeared on her back and begun to fly up.

Everyone who was on the air bird looked amazed. While flying up she glowed more and more.

"May the light of mine destroy darkness, and may my holy destroy evil. For those who have powers of darkness, and yet goodness in their hearts shall be healed." After Marie's speech she spreaded her wings fully and glowed even more than the sun would ever shine.

Rosette, Ellie and the others had to shield their eyes from her brightness from her. Chrono on the other hand, stopped falling and quickly gotten healed from Marie's light.

"Marie?" he whispered as he saw her in her angelic form.

"AHHH MY EYES MY SKIN, IT BURNS!!!!" Semaj yelled as he covered himself. Chrono quickly flew over to him.

"Why? WHY AREN'T YOU BURNING UP LIKE ME!?!" He asked while he yelped in pain.

"Because you are the only one 'evil' around here, now it's time for me to get back at you!" Then Chrono slashed Semaj with his hand blade and he disintegrated in the light.

After he was destroyed Marie's lightness and wings disappeared and fell unconscious. Chrono turned. "Marie!!!" he yelled as he flew and caught her just in time.

He looked at her, breathing very slowly.

"Marie?!?" Chrono called. "Marie! Wake up!" he continued. Marie slowly moved and mumbled and slowly opened her eyes.

"Chr…ono?" She slowly said.

"Marie!" Chrono said happily. Marie smiled as well.

"I'm happy you're alright." She laughed slowly.

"You didn't have to do all that for me." Chrono said.

"I know, but I couldn't help it." Then she hugged Chrono while he hugged her back.

"C'mon, let's go home." Marie responded. Then she and Chrono and the rest flew back to the Magdalene Order.


	19. Rosette's Past

**AN: This chapter is nothing special, it mostly about Rosette & Chrono telling the others how they met. I know that everyone knows what happened, but I typed it in my story only because if someone else doesn't know that much of that scene of _Chrono Crusade_** **they can find that out here ^^ There will be 2 chappies of this sooo I hope you can deal with it..heheh...And if your worried about me updating on my other fanfic, My Winter, I'll have it up sometime this week or weekend...ok, enjoy my chappie ^^'**

Chapter 19 Rosette's Past

The next day while Sister Kate was done talking to Marie and the others about the job well done (except for Rosette who gotten yelled at for the collapsed building), she was doing paperwork till Father Remington stepped into her office.

"Hello Father, you're late." She said a little crabby.

"Sorry, I was doing a little investigating from last night. But I got a question for you." Remington asked.

"Yes?" Sister Kate waited.

"Have you ever seen an apostle glow like that, from Manhattan to here?" Sister Kate shook a no.

"Do you think that she's the special one? The Gold Angel? The Holy one?"

Remington nodded.

"Yes, she's the one apostle here to ever experience stigmata, and her light of which we saw yesterday was really powerful enough for us to see. Indeed, she might be just the one. Just like Mary Magdalene. And I'm afraid that she'll experience more powers then she already has."

Both Sister Kate and Father Remington looked out the window to see Marie running to greet Rosette, Chrono, Azmaria, and the element sisters. Who were sitting at their favorite spot by the well.

"Should we keep a close eye on her?" Sister Kate asked.

"Well no, I think she's pretty well protected by her friends and her demon partner mostly." Remington laughed.

"But we'll keep a close eye out just in case."

~~~* * *~~~

"Heh? You wanna hear what?" Rosette said surprised.

"Yeah I want to hear about your past, you said you met Chrono in a tomb, etc. And I want to hear the whole story." Marie grinned.

"Wow, it looks like we are headed to flashback city again." Ellie joked.

"Can't we just wait till later?" Rosette pleaded.

"Hey! I want to hear it too! Now tell about it or else you'll get filled up with flames!" Ellie said holding up two fireballs in each hand.

"I'll make you eat those flames!" Rosette got up while rolling up her sleeve. But Chrono forced her to sit back down.

"Ok Rosette, what about we both take turns telling the story? It will be easy, trust me." Chrono smiled.

"Ok, you go first." Chrono looked at her confused. "I don't know what happened with you and Joshua back at the orphanage before you met me!" Chrono said.

"Ok, I'll start!" Rosette took three deep breaths and started the story.

"It all happened four years ago…back when me and my little brother Joshua were back at the Seventh Bell Orphanage…"

~~~* * *~~~

"YOU MESSED UP THE LAUNDRY!!!" Rosette yelled while carrying a huge bucket of water and chased the two orphan boys, Billy, and Kevin, for whom they were playing right next to the clean laundry that was hung up to dry outside, and which gotten the clothes all dirty from playing next to it.

"I'M SOO GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY OF WHAT YOU DID!" In the background watching, there were the two orphan girls, Nellie and Sarah who were holding the dirty laundry in their hands.

"Can't we just talk it out?!" Billy pleaded but kept running away from Rosette. "NO FREAKING WAY! YOU ARE GOING TO PAY HERE AND NOW!" Then Rosette threw the bucket but missed the two boys.

"Ugh." Billy grunted on the ground after he dodged the bucket. But Rosette grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and led him up to her face.

"You are taking the responsibility today mister! You and Kevin are going to clean all the laundry of which you dirtied up!" Rosette pointed at Nellie and Sarah who were of course, holding the laundry. Nellie cheered and flapped the dirtied clothes.

"I'm not doing anything, plus it's the girl's turn to do the chores!" Billy argued. Rosette pulled Billy up to her face.

"YOU WILL SOO DO IT, GOT IT!?!?" she clenched her teeth.

"So where's the bucket?" Kevin asked.

Rosette dropped Billy and looked forward, seeing brother lying on the ground with the bucket on his head. She screamed and ran to him.

"Oh my God! Joshua! Please speak to me! Joshua!!!" Rosette continued to chant his name till she heard something, his laughter under the bucket. Rosette quickly pulled it off from his head and saw Joshua fine while making a silly face.

"Hahahahaha…I got you good Rosette!" He laughed.

"Grrrrrrrr." Rosette growled. "I was only just getting you back, you ruined my book that was lay-(coughing)" Then Joshua covered his mouth while he was coughing up a storm. Rosette rushed by him.

"Are you alright Joshua? Do you need to rest a bit?" Rosette kept asking. After Joshua was done coughing he answered.

"No, I don't need to go back. I'm fine; I wanna hang out here a little longer." He smiled.

Then Rosette smiled along while she helped him up.

"Ok, let's go." Rosette said.

"Go where?" Joshua asked.

"If you come with me you'll find out." Then she grabbed her younger brother's hand and dashed off into the great beyond, the woods.

"No Rosette! The Minister is coming in the afternoon to talk with Joshua!" Sarah yelled.

"Who cares!?" Rosette yelled back as she and Joshua completely disappeared. Sarah sighed.

"Heh, one of these days that girl will get soo in trouble…and that I can't wait to watch her get yelled at…one of these days.." Billy said as she picked up the bucket that was now empty on the ground.

~~~* * *~~~

"Rosette, why are you making me go away from the minister that wants to talk to me later this afternoon?" Joshua asked as Rosette lead him deeper into the forest.

"Because that guy is not to be trusted! I mean look at him, he's just a guy who's greedy for your power is all! And if he takes you, he'll do crazy experiments on you!" Joshua laughed.

"You read too many weird books Rosette, plus if that guy decides to take me I'll be living near New York City!" Joshua said happy.

"But that place that you're going to is a convent! It won't be like a city!" Rosette argued.

"We will be leaving when were fifteen anyway, it does not make any difference that I should leave now or then." Joshua said, making his point.

"And I won't let you go, after all _I' am_ the big sister, and I won't let you go running around the convent by yourself." Rosette smiled.

"You're mean." Joshua said.

"Yep, just doing what an older sister should do." Rosette said with her head up and walked straight, but out of the ordinary, her foot got sucked in the ground and she started to fall.

"Aghhhh!" she screamed. But Joshua got in and grabbed her hand. "I got you." He struggled but, he fell into the hole in the ground with her.

"AGHHH!" they screamed and fell on the brick floor.

Joshua started coughing.

"Where are we?" Joshua looked around and saw that they were in some sort of tunnel, a brick tunnel in the ground. He looked up at the light where they fell.

"Well, it looks like we can't go back of which we started." He sighed. Rosette tried to get up but she fell with pain on her knee.

"Ouch!" She looked at it; it was a big bloody scrape.

"Man, I must of scraped it by the stupid brick ground!" She complained. She tried to get up again, but she failed. Joshua bent down.

"Please Rosette, don't try to get up. Let me handle this." He said softly.

"But if you-" Rosette started.

"No, it will get infected." Then he held his hands by her wounded leg, and his hands begun to glow and healed the wound on her leg till it disappeared.

"Thank you." Rosette said kindly. Joshua chuckled.

"You're welcome." Then he helped her up.

"C'mon let's find the…"

"Rosette?" Joshua interrupted her. "Yeah?" Rosette replied.

"Why can't I heal others injuries but not my own? Why can't I?" Rosette looked sad for a second but then grabbed her brother's hand.

"Don't worry about it, its fine. If you ever get hurt or have any fits, I'll always be here to help and protect you." Rosette smiled. But Joshua just stared confused.

"C'mon let's go." Rosette said cheery while leading the way, but Joshua just looked sad the whole time though. While they were walking the past 5 minutes they stopped at two big doors with the Magdalene Order's sign on the front. And something was written on the front of the door inside the Magdalene Order sign.

"Are you sure it's the exit?" Rosette asked.

"There's something written here." Joshua said noticing the small words in between the huge doors. He looked closely. "Intr-holy-Mag-den-sleep I think?" he said.

"That's what it said?" Rosette asked.

"Uh, I can't tell, it's too small." When Joshua touched it, the doors just glowed and opened.

"O-Ok, it's open. And there's no light, it can't be the exit." Rosette said nervously walking inside the room with the opened doors.

"You know, I think that story Ms. Jean told was true. About the forest, something about an underground tomb?" Joshua pointed out.

"HUH? A TOMB?!" Rosette yelled as the candles in the room flicked on with light. And she saw the coffin in the middle of the room.

"This is the resting chamber." Joshua said.

"W-Who c-cares! Let's j-just get o-out o-of here a-and…"

"Who are you!?" an angry voice said. Then the two frightened siblings looked ahead and saw a boy sitting next to the coffin with torn-up old clothing, he had a headband wrapped around and had long dark purple hair and deep maroon eyes.

"Who dares awake me?" he asked again, and then he looked at Rosette and Joshua who were frightened.

"Tell me."


	20. Friend’s Contract

**AN: Still in Rosette's flashback....**

Chapter 20 Friend's contract

"Did I really say that?" Chrono asked. Rosette laughed.

"Yep every word." Everybody laughed as well.

"Who are you?" Ellie cracked up.

"Who dares awake me, tell me." Marie said in a very deep voice. "Chrono you make me laugh when I hear stories about you like that." She continued laughing.

Chrono blushed in embarrassment. Soon everyone gotten over the joke and stopped laughing. "Ha...ha…Yeah for the first time I saw Chrono like that, truly I was freaked out, but soon that feeling disappeared afterwards. It's strange." Rosette said. Marie giggled.

"Don't worry, I was the same way too, with him lying injured on the ground when I first met him. But really, the scared feeling disappeared." Marie grinned.

"Wow, I never knew that I scare people for the first time and then become friends with them. And I thought you weren't scared of demons, _Marie_…" Chrono smiled at her suspicious. Marie stared at him wide-eyed.

"Alright, the first time I saw you, freaked me out, ok? Who wouldn't if there's an injured demon on a daisy field?" Chrono smiled.

"Yeah I would too if I was you. Now let me continue on with our past. After I was awoken, a pretty few happy moments happened…."

~~~* * *~~~

"Who is the one that has awakened me?" Chrono asked the two scared children.

"Um we did, I'm Rosette Christopher. And this is my younger brother, Joshua Christopher." Rosette said.

"Do you know what you're doing here? You're exposing our names to a total stranger!" Joshua whispered harshly in Rosette's ear.

"I' am only doing this so we won't get hurt by him." Joshua stared at her mad.

"Just in case!!" Rosette whispered back.

"Rosette Christopher?" Chrono said in his mind. "Mary's remaining soul told me about her in her prediction after I've rested here." Chrono thought. " '_…And you'll meet Rosette Christopher. She will help you along the path to reunite the one you lost in the far past, and meet new friends that will help you on your journey to face the one you thought as your friend.' _That's what I remembered after she told me." Chrono thought again.

"Who are you?" Rosette asked. "And tell us why you're here?" She asked again.

Chrono stood up. "My name is Chrono, and what I am is what you people call a 'demon'."

Rosette and Joshua stared at him confused.

"What do you mean by that? A demon?" Rosette asked another question.

"Yes, one of the evil beings feared by you humans. And the reason why I'm here is becau-Ugh!" Chrono fell. Rosette gasped and went by to his side to help him.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly. Chrono struggled.

"It's been decades since I last awoke. I lack energy." Chrono groaned.

"Wait you're weak? Wait, I think I have something." Rosette said while digging though her dress pocket. Chrono just stared at her weirdly. "Here!" Rosette said while handing Chrono pieces of candy.

"Um…thank you?" He slowly grabbed the four pieces and placed them in his pocket in his old clothing.

"So you're a demon? That's soo great!" Joshua said excited running to him and grabbed his hands.

"So does that mean that ghosts and fairies are real too?" Joshua asked with sparkles in his eyes. "Uhhh?" Chrono started.

"Joshua! Don't scare the guy!" Rosette said tugging him back up.

"I got another question, Chrono right?" Chrono stood up and nodded.

"Do you know where the exit is? Me and my brother are lost in this confusing tomb thing. Heh heh…" Rosette faked a laugh.

"Yeah I do." Chrono said as he grabbed the girl's hand.

"I' m only holding your hand because it get kinda dark near the passage of the exit and there might be places you can trip on, nothing personal." He said.

"Alright." Rosette kind of blushed.

Then Chrono led the way while Joshua was by Rosette's side most of the time.

"I trust him, do you?" Rosette whispered to Joshua.

"Yeah, sort of." Then Chrono led Rosette and Joshua out of the confusing tomb.

"Ok, here's the exit." Chrono let go of Rosette's hand.

"Thanks Chrono." Rosette smiled and then turned to the sky of where the sunset was showing.

"It's getting late, and probably that stupid minister is gone for now." Rosette evilly grinned. She turned to Chrono again and yet he had a sorrowful look on his face.

"Hey." Chrono looked at her. "Do you want to us to visit you sometime? You look quite lonely with just you by yourself here." Rosette said. Chrono thought.

"I don't know…this girl; this 'Rosette' doesn't look like the one who will help me succeed in my path later in life. But I _will_ be lonely here if I don't agree." Chrono nodded and smiled at the two sibs. Rosette grinned happily.

"Ok, then me and Joshua will be here tomorrow to see you!" Then Rosette grabbed Joshua's hand and headed back off to the orphanage. Chrono smiled yet again.

"Hmm…it's just like the days of when I first met Marie."

~~~* * *~~~

"And after that you guys did visit me every day." Chrono smiled. "Duh, of course! We didn't want to leave you down there alone every day!" Rosette gently punched Chrono. "And we did a bunch of things too like fishing, racing, relaxing…"

As Rosette went on and on about the activities that she done with her brother and Chrono, Marie grew sad remembering about when she done that with Chrono as well. "Why did I have to die…?" Marie whispered.

"But then…" Rosette's voice sounded sad. "…On the night after Christmas…the worst things happened in my life…"

~~~* * *~~~

As Rosette was panting and running through the forest to Chrono's place by the tomb, she found Chrono sitting next to the tomb. Chrono stood up worried.

"Why are you here late? Did something bad happen?" Chrono asked Rosette. Rosette heavily catched her breath for a few seconds and then talked.

"Chrono…Joshua made the decision on going on his own. And I can't come with him." Rosette begun to cry and she wiped her tears on her winter jacket.

"Oh Rosette…how can I put this…?" Suddenly Chrono felt big, evil, powerful energy from before. Then he shook in fright. Rosette looked at him.

"What's wrong? Chrono?" Then Chrono began to step a few inches away from her.

"Run, go away…before he-"

"Hello Chrono." A familiar voice said above the tree nearby the tomb.

Chrono looked up and saw Aion's bird on the tree, overshadowing it was a red moon.

"At last we meet again." Aion said. "No, it's like I'm reliving the time with me and Marie!" Chrono thought. Aion laughed.

"Heh, does this remind you sometime way back then…The time with your first love…heh heh…" Aion evilly chuckled. Chrono growled. "Chrono, what's that bird-"

"It's no bird, it's Aion. He's a demon as well." Chrono interrupted her.

"Heh, Chrono you are very lucky for me to miss on an important date with two element sisters in San Fran…And you have to awaken and ruin the whole fun for me, do you?" Aion said madly.

"Then why don't you go back!" Chrono yelled.

"Nah, because you are the most important thing for me to ruin, you're the one who betrayed me twice because you don't want to hurt these 'creatures' that you love soo much. Every time I come and visit you, you always, always, _always!_ Fall in love with another human! You make me sick Chrono, and yet I need your help. Come with me again and I'll return back your horns. Good deal eh?" Chrono looked at Aion disgusted.

"No! Like when I said before back then, I'll never return to you. And this time..." Chrono said while gripping on his pocket watch that he wore.

"…I make sure I won't." He growled.

"Soo what should I do with your horns then?" Aion asked Chrono again.

"You can keep them!" Chrono yelled.

Then Aion evilly laughed. "I thought you would say that, and lucky me that I have already given them for someone else." Chrono and Rosette stared wide-eyed at the bird.

"My dear 'creature', your brother is very, very smart." Rosette eyes opened very wide. "What?" she asked.

"What the heck did you do to my brother!?" She yelled. Aion's bird laughed.

"Why don't you find out for yourself, I bet he'll be waiting and have a little surprise for you." Then the bird toke off. Rosette started dashing for the bird.

"No! Wait!" she yelled and ran, but Chrono grabbed Rosette's arm.

"Please, come with me!" Then Chrono ran and transformed in the sky and held Rosette in his arms. Rosette looked at Chrono weirdly while they flew.

"Chrono what happened to you? You changed." She said. Chrono nodded.

"This is my true demonic form, the other form of which you saw, made me consume most of my astral energy so I won't lose it. If I lost all of my astral energy, it means death for me, but enough questions, we need to save Joshua!"

~~~* * *~~~

Then Chrono took off full speed till they reached Seventh Bell. As Chrono landed, Rosette toke off.

"JOSHUA!" She yelled.

"Rosette!" Chrono yelled but fell from exhaustion.

"Just that little power…leaves me like this?" Chrono question himself. As everybody was running and screaming out of the orphanage, Rosette yelled one of her friends names.

"Sarah! What's happening here?!" She asked her who was running out of the orphanage.

"Rosette, your brother has gone insane! Crazy even!" she yelled.

"I don't get it, why is he insane?" Rosette asked and walked to her.

"Stop Rosette!" Chrono said walking slowly over. Then a huge blast of energy came from the orphanage and the people who were running from it, stopped. As the blast cleared, all Rosettes' orphanage friends were covered in sliver, frozen in time.

"What?" Rosette said scared. She walked over to Sarah, who was now frozen.

"Why are you sliver and still?" She asked as she touched her and tried to shake her but nothing happened. "What the heck is going on here!?" Rosette yelled, demanding an answer. All of the sudden her brother walked out through all that mess. Rosette ran to him relieved, but then shocked when she saw him closely. Joshua's eyes were dark blue and blank, and he now had two white horns on his head.

"Joshua…" Rosette said sadly.

"You did take them…" Joshua looked at Rosette and smiled.

"Ah, Rosette…" He smiled.

"Joshua! Why did you accept those horns?! Why did you!?!?" Rosette asked and yelled.

"Because Rosette, I don't want to be weak and sick anymore…and with these, I feel much better. Now I feel I hold all the power in the world!" Joshua said happy.

"What are you saying Joshua!?" Rosette asked her brother again.

"What I mean is that you don't have to become a doctor anymore! And I can play with you all the time!" Joshua said cheery again.

"Joshua…" Rosette whispered her brother's name. "You're not the brother I know anymore!" Rosette yelled.

Suddenly her brother's eyes suddenly turned back to normal again.

"What? What did I do? Or say?" he questioned. Rosette gently grabbed her brother's hands.

"Joshua you need-"

Then her brother's eyes became dark and blank again.

"No!!!" he yelled in pain while he pushed his older sister away.

"You have to run!! Run or else I could freeze you too...AGGHHH!!!" He screamed as the same powerful sliver blast hovered over him, swirling over him like a tornado.

"JOSHUA!!!!" Rosette screamed as she ran to him, but Chrono grabbed her and prevented her from doing so and tried to stop the energy headed towards him from Joshua. But the force of Joshua's horns send them two flying out into the air. Then Chrono had Rosette in his arms again, watching the horror below them.

"Chrono what's that sliver energy? It's making everything stand still." Rosette asked.

"It's time freeze, it used to be an attack I used to do of when I had my horns. With your brother in that energy he could be frozen as well." Chrono explained. Rosette freaked out and tried to make Chrono let go of her.

"NO LET ME GO! I NEED TO SAVE MY BROTHER!!" Rosette yelled.

"I can't let you do that! You'll be frozen as well!" Chrono said making his point.

"But they are your horns; can't you do something about it?" Rosette asked. Then she and Chrono looked at his hand that tried to stop the time freeze, it looked badly wounded.

"The cost of saving you leaves me like this, even if I tried to save your brother my energy would run out, and me without any astral energy means death."

Then the energy tornado came closer to them and Chrono made his escape and flew and landed close by to the tomb in the grassy plain near it.

"So, what now?" Rosette started crying. Chrono looked at her sadly.

"I don't know…without any horns or a human contractor my powers are useless." Rosette looked at Chrono.

"Contractor? What's a contractor?" Rosette asked him. But Chrono sadly lowered his head. "With a contractor, it could save you right?" Chrono nodded.

"Yes but..."

"Tell me!" Rosette forced him to tell. Chrono sighed and begun explaining.

"A contract is when you give your soul to a demon and the demon uses the human soul. Whenever each task is taken, the shorter life of the contractor becomes." He said.

"THEN I'LL DO IT AND-"

"ROSETTE!!" Chrono interrupted her.

"Doing this will end your life quickly. You will never get the chance to live throughout your whole life. Rosette, is this what you really want?" Chrono asked her sadly.

Rosette closed her eyes and thought about her brother and her friends at the orphanage now.

"My brother hated that people felt sorry for him, maybe that's the reason why he made that choice with the horns. But I don't want to lose my brother now; we made promises to each other, dreams with each other. And I don't want to end these promises and dreams now. Please Chrono with this contract, we can find my brother and we can do those promises and dreams together, all three of us." Rosette grinned.

Chrono smiled a bit but turned his smile into a sorrowful frown again. He let Rosette down, and he bowed to her.

"I understand, for your brother we shall make this contract, Rosette Christopher."

~~~* * *~~~

Marie gripped on her pocket watch after Rosette was finished. Rosette stared at everyone sadly.

"After we made the contract, Father Remington found us and toke us in at the Magdalene Order. Without him…I've probably would have died about now." Rosette smiled then frowned again.

Marie looked at Rosette and then stood up and put her hands on her shoulders.

"Look, I know that stupid idiotic jerk Aion is out somewhere. He has taken all things away from all of us." Rosette looked at her friends all with sad looks on their faces, and then turned back to Marie.

"And if we practice hard enough as militia, and make Sister Kate think we are ready…we will find your brother, and kick Aion's butt of what he did to all of us. Now let's all make a contract of our own, everyone group up!" And everyone did as Marie said.

"For my family!" Marie placed her hand in the middle.

"For our family!" Ellie and Chel's yelled as they placed their hands in. "For my mother and father and my orchestra friends." Azmaria placed her hand in.

"For Joshua." Rosette placed her hand.

"For Marie, Magdalene, Rosette. And myself." Chrono placed his in last.

"Now let's make this contract and together we will find Rosette's brother and destroy our enemy that caused us pain for years! And in return for our long journey, we shall keep in touch…all of us!" Marie yelled.

As everyone placed their hands in, they raised their arms and yelled, "Contract!"


	21. Nate

Chapter 21 Nate

"That's it we are right on its tail!" Marie drove the model T through the streets of New York.

It had token Marie two weeks to drive, and Rosette told her all the steps, but Marie always gotten confused of what she meant. By the end of the second week, Chrono toke over and showed her how to do so, very easier than Rosette's explanation. Then she knew how.

"Don't go too fast Marie…or else you'll end up crashing like Rosette does." Chrono said worried in the passenger seat.

"We have too, how else we are going to catch this demon dog? It's running over 50 miles per hour!" Marie yelled as she just passed the 60 on the meter. Then she got close to the darkness covered beast.

"Chrono, take the wheel!" Marie commanded. "Right!" then he did as he was told. Marie grabbed her gun in her pocket and stood and leaned against her open car window and begun shooting the thing. But no matter how many sacreds she shot, the darkness dog didn't go down.

"Ugh! It won't stop!" Marie yelled. Suddenly the dog ran faster and jumped on the car that was in front of them and it went inside.

"No!" Marie yelled. Then blood splattered all over the car and the dog jumped out running again, bigger than it was before. The car that was in front slowed down, and Chrono did a sharp turn. While doing so, Marie fell out of the car.

"Aghhhh!" she fell onto the ground.

"Marie!" Chrono yelled as he rushed over to Marie's seat and stepped on the brakes. Marie rolled on the ground a few times but she made herself stop and aimed for the darkness demon dog, which was glaring at her with glowing blue eyes.

"Just stay…and…" Marie shot but the dog completely dodged and ran away. Marie sighed and dropped her gun beside her.

"I bet Sister Kate won't be happy with me."

~~~* * *~~~

"Oh, don't worry about it Marie. At least you tried." Sister Kate said to Marie to next morning. Marie just stared at her blank-eyed.

"Why aren't you yelling at me? The hellhound escaped." Sister Kate stared at her calmly.

"Yes, and you are one of the newest exorcists here. I wouldn't yell at one of the newest members in the Order." Sister Kate explained. Father Remington chuckled on the couch in the office while he drank his coffee and read the paper.

"Then what about the time when Rosette first entered, and you yelled at her on the first couple of days! That's what Rosette told me yesterday." Sister Kate made a serious face. "Marie, do you want me to settle things this way like right now? Or you want me to yell at you?"

Marie shook.

"Ok, I'll call a sister to tell you when that hellhound will appear again. Understood?" Marie nodded at Sister Kate.

"Yes, ma'am." Then she walked out of her office.

Remington smiled as she did.

"If she wasn't one of the apostles of God, you would have yelled at her. Would you Sister Kate?" Remington giggled. Sister Kate sighed.

"Yes, maybe….Father?"

"Hmm?" Remington said smiling.

"When will Marie's true powers come into the fold?" Sister Kate asked. Remington frowned.

"I don't know, but I'm certain it will be very near."

~~~* * *~~~

"Hey Marie!" Chrono, Ellie, and Chel's said over sitting by the well. "Hello guys." Marie smiled while sitting next to Chrono.

"Where's Rosette?" she asked.

"Apparently after her last mission screw up, she's been doing nothing but mopping the floors." Chrono said embarrassed. Ellie and Chelsea laughed. Marie shook her head while smiling.

"Rosette…" she whispered. All of the sudden, Chrono seriously jumped in front of Marie and the two element sisters.

"What's wrong?" Marie said worried.

"A source of evil is stepping this way, heading towards us." Chrono said roughly.

Ellie and Chelsea got up as well, with their weapons and birds. Then a stranger appeared before them, he was a demon. He was dark, had dark brown hair and deep deep maroon eyes and he had chains all over his clothing. He walked a bit closer.

"I' am looking for Chrono the Sinner." He said in a teenage voice. Chrono stepped in front.

"What do you want…Sinner Nate…" Chrono growled. The demon, whose name is Nate, looked at Chrono seriously.

"I betrayed Aion the Sinner and want to join in your guy's group. I want Aion's plans to fail as much as you do Chrono. Please I truly abanded them and I wish to accomplice you to defeat him." Chrono stared at Nate untrustworthy.

Nate saw and he bowed down to him.

"Please, I' am telling the truth." Chrono stared at him for 5 seconds and shook his head as a no.

"No, after what you did to those poor people on the day when we broke free from pandemonium, and the time when you destroyed Marie's home, and everything else you've done… I have to decline." Chrono said harshly.

Nate stood up.

"NO PLEASE!!" Nate begged, but Ellie jumped in and pointed her scythe at his neck.

"Chrono said no…if you don't want to become a bloody mess, I expect you to leave!" She yelled serious. Nate looked at her shocked, remembering her somewhere before.

"Wait you'r-"

Ellie made a quick scratch on his chest with her scythe.

"Next time I'll slice you in half now leave!" Ellie yelled. Nate closed his eyes sorrowfully and toke off far away. Chrono started walking away ignoring what happened.

"Wait!" Marie chased after him and placed a hand on his shoulder to make him stop. Chrono turned to her.

"Are you sure he was in the Sinners of what he did to the settlers and the town?" Marie asked. Chrono closed his eyes and nodded.

"Nate is the third ranked Sinner to do things that were really bad. He laughed when he was slaying those people back at your time, Marie. And I don't want a demon like him being with us. He is bad as Aion…" Then Chrono walked off, leaving Marie watching.

She touched where her heart was and thought.

"That demon really was telling the truth, I know it. Myself tells me so."

"Sister Marie!" a voice interrupted her. She looked behind and saw a sister.

"Elder wishes to see you and Chrono at once." She ordered. "Elder?" Marie wondered.

~~~* * *~~~

"Marie I want you to stay behind me the whole time." Chrono said while entering the Elder's workshop.

"Why?" she asked behind him while something crawled under Chrono.

"I got you now-WAIT YOU'RE NOT A WOMAN!!" An old man said under him while he dodged back into his workplace ahead. Chrono growled at the old geezer.

"That's why…" The old man laughed.

"Heh, sorry Chrono…it's just soo dark over there." Chrono shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah." He sounded ticked. Marie showed herself from behind him and waved.

"Hey." She said shyly. "Ugh, I was soo close too." He mumbled.

"Ok, back to business. I got some weapons for both of you, and after that I need to show you something." Elder went through his filled up desk and found a little black case.

"Heads up!" He yelled as he threw it over to Marie. She caught it and looked at the tiny box and opened it. Inside was a huge silver bullet.

"Wait a sec, I used this bullet before. I used it to destroy tough demons, the Gospel right?" Marie asked. "No, no, no, no, no!!! This bullet is a little different than the Gospel. This one has more holy microscopic text in it and one more ingredient was placed in this bullet, an angel's wing." Elder explained.

"An angel's wing?" Marie asked. The Elder chuckled.

"Yes and this new bullet, it can destroy any demon no matter if it's the weakest or the strongest. This is the only bullet I have so I trust you to shoot it to the greatest enemy of yours; can you handle the Sliver wing, Marie?" Marie closed the little box and nodded.

Elder turned to Chrono. "And let's not forget you Chrono, you did report to me that you handling with holy weapons bothers and hurts you, correct?" Chrono sadly nodded.

"Well then…" The old coot laughed while searching for something on his worktable.

"Ah there it is!" Elder threw a flat metal cross at Chrono, and he quickly caught it. He looked at the cross confused and then he shook it and a blue glowing blade came out. Chrono looked at the thing amazed.

"I put some text onto the cross to make any person who doesn't have evil in their soul wield it. If some bad demon or person tries to wield it, it will just reject them. I have also type the same reaction control text on the barrier crucifixes and other weapons." Chrono closed the blade.

"Wow Elder, thank you." Chrono said quietly.

"Oh don't thank me just yet; I have something to show you outside." Chrono and Marie looked at each other and shrugged.

Once the Elder lead them outside, there was a big huge motorcycle by his workshop. Chrono and Marie looked at it blank eyed.

"It's something I finished something last night. I heard that you guys have been having quite a lot of trouble with that hellhound and I thought of something and boom! This beauty was born! It can go over 100 miles an hour!" The Elder said excitedly.

"Uhh…" Marie said blankly. Chrono placed his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry I'll drive it."

"Are you sure?" Marie asked worried. Chrono nodded and grinned. "Positive."

~~~* * *~~~

_Veeeeeroooom!_ The fast motorcycle passed through the streets. Chrono was driving the motorcycle while Marie was holding on to him in the back.

"Don't worry; I won't let anything bad happen!" Chrono yelled and tried to comfort Marie.

"I know!" She yelled back. Then the black dashing hellhound appeared in front of them, trying to escape. Marie tried shooting it but the dog dodged it.

"Unbelievable!" Marie yelled in anger. Then the dog dashed into tunnel nearby.

"Hold on!" Then Chrono zoomed in there, catching up. Meanwhile Marie saw something in the tunnel already. It was another demon, but not just any demon, it was Nate.

"Chrono it's-," Marie started. "I know, just ignore him Marie!" Then Chrono zoomed past him and quickly parked. Marie quickly got out of the motorbike and reload her gun with a Gospel.

"Wait for it…" Chrono whispered. Then there it was the hellhound. But something was different about it, it looked smaller but Marie just shot the demon, didn't care otherwise. Then there was a big white light and _Boom!_ The hellhound was gone.

Marie turned back to face her partner and wiped her hands together.

"Well got that prob-"

"Marie!" Then Chrono jumped off the motorcycle and held Marie down while another hellhound jumped and crashed the motorbike and continued running. Marie got up and looked at the damaged motorbike.

"No! Just great! Now I'm starting to have bad luck like Rosette now!" She said sorrowfully.

"But the real problem is why there another hellhound?" Chrono asked.

"Did I get him for you guys?" a voice said close to the beginning of the tunnel, coming closer. It was Nate. Chrono growled.

"You!" He pointed at him. "Why are here in the first place!" He asked.

"Because I want to prove to you that I'm not lying! I want to destroy Aion as badly as you are, Chrono!" Nate yelled.

"Marie, release the seal…" Chrono growled.

"No!" Marie refused.

"In a way, I think that Nate is telling the truth. And if you don't believe me then let him hold your blade Chrono!" Chrono growled again and gave Nate his blade. And when he touched it, there was no repel. The blade didn't reject him.

"He _is_ telling the truth…Marie how did you know?" Chrono said while putting his blade back in his red jacket.

"Does the apostle of faith ring a bell?" Marie grinned. Nate bowed down to Marie.

"Thank you for proving my point, Marie…as a thank you, I shall return you a favor." Marie rolled her eyes.

"Demons with the favors…" Marie looked back at her broken motorbike and then him. "How fast can you fly?"

~~~* * *~~~

In the air, Chrono was carrying Marie with another loaded Gospel while Nate flew beside them.

"I see the demon dog!" Marie yelled.

"Nate fly more ahead of him to make it stop!" Marie commanded.

"Alright!" Then he flew faster.

"Ok Chrono, you can let me down till the dog starts slowing down." Marie looked and winked at him.

"Ok." As Nate landed ahead from the hellhound, blocking its way the dog slowed down.

"Ok let me down." Marie commanded. Chrono landed and let Marie go. Then she ran closer to the dog with her gun pointed at it.

"May the light of holiness destroy the hearts filled with sins!" Then Marie shot the Gospel and the hellhound disappeared from its light.

"Good job guys!" Marie grinned and group hugged the two demons. "Heh…awkward…" Marie thought as she let go. "Should we let him join our group? I think he will do just fine." Marie asked Chrono.

Chrono's golden eyes looked at Nate then walked over to him with his hand out.

"Promise that you won't switch sides or else I'll crush you…" Nate shook and did a friendly laugh.

"Promise." Chrono looked back at Marie.

"Should we change back and head back into the car?" But she shook her head.

"You are really dull you know? We don't have a car! We toke a motorcycle here remember? Which the demon broke." Chrono gave Marie a blank stare.

"Yeah duh!" He slapped himself.

"Ok then…" He grabbed Marie and spreaded his wings. And the two demons and the apostle flew back to the Order.


	22. Clues

**AN: I'm in the zone typing this fanfic than my other one XP Sorry, I promise to post My Winter ASAP as soon after I'm done typing. Well enjoy this chapter! ^^**

Chapter 22 Clues

"Finally back!" Marie yelled as she got out of the convent's car. She walked a couple few steps on the ground and she fell down with exhaustion, same with her partner, Chrono. Ever since Marie and Chrono brought Nate to the Order…things well haven't been very cheery, except the fact that Ellie and Chelsea remembered him and had a big reunion for them three. But anyways, Sister Kate wasn't in the best mood since they brought him in. Marie, Chrono, Rosette, and everyone else in the Order had to do the twice amount of chores and missions from her.

"It all your fault guys! And I wasn't there to screw it up!" Marie remembered Rosette saying to her and Chrono.

"Was Sister Kate like this to Rosette and you of when you entered the Order?" Marie asked while she was lying flat on the grass.

"Well you can say she wasn't _happy_." Chrono responded.

"I wished I still lived in the 1800s!" Marie complained.

"You said it!" Chrono agreed. Then the phone rang from inside the car. "Ugh!" Marie complained as she gotten up, lifted the trunk of the model T and answered the phone from Chrono's weapon pack.

"Hello? Father Remington? I'm sorry Rosette isn't by me now. What? Ok I'll do it, bye." Marie hung up.

"Who was it?" Chrono said getting up.

"Remington. I have to pick him up from Grand Central Station." Marie explained while she got in the driver's seat.

"Can I come?" Chrono asked. Marie shook as she closed her car door.

"No, you look too tired to do another mission with me. But don't worry I'll be back without any injuries at all." Marie grinned.

"Ok…I trust you." Chrono said worried and then Marie drove off.

~~~* * *~~~

"There, are you satisfied?" Father Remington said as he hung up the phone on the wall of the train station. People were surrounding him, but not ordinary busy running around busy people…These people were controlled, hostages. Every single one was holding a sharp object to their neck or a gun keeping close to their head. Remington looked at all of them afraid.

"Why did you make me call Rosette and Marie? How can they be any use to you?" Remington asked. All the hostages laughed.

"Have you ever heard of siblings, Remington?" One man asked.

"Lord Joshua and Lord Peter wishes to see their two beloved sisters that they had lost long, long ago." Remington recognized the name Joshua, but he didn't know who Peter is.

"Who is Peter?" Remington wanted to know. The controlled hostages laughed again.

"Lord Peter is Marie's older brother. Lord Aion has revived him from death to just to see the two beloved siblings again." Remington didn't believe it.

"Is that all? Just to see them together again? I don't believe a true Sinner would do that to help a broken family." The hostages didn't speak.

"So you're doing this because of Marie's power…?" All of the sudden the entrance doors opened and out came Marie, who was walking slowly along the way, only because of the five hard missions she'd done today.

"Hello Remington! I-," Marie stopped walking and froze of what she saw ahead of her. "What's going on?" Marie whispered to herself.

"Hello Sister Marie." A man greeted and bowed to her.

"Do you wish to see Lord Peter? The train leading to him will be leaving soon." He said again. Marie stood there and froze what the man just said.

"Peter?" She thought.

She continued to stand there while her body numbed itself and pain rushed over, making a weird shock to her body.

"Peter?" Marie whispered.

"Yes, do you wish to see your beloved brother?" The man asked.

"Don't listen to him Marie! They are only taking you to him so Aion can get you. This is all his trap!" Remington yelled. Then a shot was fired at Remington's arm, he fell down when pain. "Remington!!!" Marie yelled. Then the man that was taking to Marie grabbed her and so did three other people.

"Let go!" Me struggled and yelled but she was far too weak to let her go from their grip.

"Muhahahaha!" a female voice was heard at the distance. "Chrono…" Marie thought. "If you can hear me…help."

~~~* * *~~~

"Marie?" Chrono thought worriedly. "What's wrong Chrono?" Ellie asked who was walking to the next Magdalene Order building till she caught a glimpse of him being worried. She ran to him.

"I don't know, I just feel something's wrong with Marie…Wait, she's calling me!" Chrono yelled and began to run over to a convent's car.

"No, wait!" Ellie yelled as she made her fiery phoenix appear. She stepped on it while she grabbed Chrono's hand and got in as well. "We can go faster at this rate." Ellie said.

"Thanks Ellie, I do owe you one." Chrono said kindly.

"Ok phoenix…" Ellie said.

"Let's go."

~~~* * *~~~

"OW!" Marie yelled as one of the hostages pushed her to go.

"The train is leaving soon, now rush!" Marie tried to keep up but normally she can't.

"Is this how it's going to be?" Marie thought as she cried a tear. "I can't fight back; I can't escape…Aion's got me." She walked slower.

"But what if Peter is alive?" She closed her eyes and tried to think back of when he was with her, alive. She thought of him playing on the piano for her, telling her stories, taking her to places she'd never been.

"No…" Marie thought and cried.

"Aion would never do that…all of this is obviously a trap."

"Get in!" One of the controlled hostages yelled and interrupted her thoughts. They pushed her into the train, and obliviously the train roared with life. She tried getting up and tried to escape but the train was moving too fast for her to jump off. Tears ran off her face and onto the pocket watch, which was dangling there from her neck.

"Chrono…" she whispered.

"Marie!" she heard a familiar voice in the distance.

"Marie!!!" The voice called her name again, louder this time.

"That voice?" Marie thought. Suddenly a phoenix swooped down and took Marie from the train and landed by the railway.

"Marie? Are you alright?" Marie looked up and saw Chrono holding her half up.

"It's you Chrono, you probably heard my message." Marie half smiled.

The phoenix disappeared, while Chrono and Ellie tried to help Marie up.

"There she is!" The hostages said as they began running for her, While Ellie gotten her scythe out and tried to slow them down.

"Do you want me to take you back? You're all bruised and weak from today." Chrono insisted. But Marie shook and stood up on her own.

"Father Remington gotten shot back there and-,"

"Remington got shot!?" Chrono yelled.

Marie nodded.

"Muhahahaha!" The same female voice laughed again. Marie growled and quickly took a gun from Chrono's weapon pack and aimed up.

"I know you're here somewhere controlling these people! Show yourself!" Marie yelled. The voice laughed again.

"Wait, I recognize that voice…" Chrono quietly said.

"It's you isn't it? Rizel?" Chrono pointed up.

"Yes, it's me Chrono. I've been sent from Lord Aion to take Marie and Rosette to their brothers. They both miss them very deeply." The one known as Rizel said.

"But it's a shame Rosette didn't come but lucky you Marie, you will finally get to see him again. If…" Marie stared at the darkness ahead serious.

"…you come with me." Rizel finished.

Marie looked down and closed her eyes, seeing the two possible options with going with Rizel.

1) She would see her brother alive and be with him.

Or

2) Her brother isn't alive and Aion would capture her just for the power she held. Without any proof, she couldn't come with her.

"I' am sorry Rizel, but I can't trust you, and I can't take that risk for myself to come with you!" Marie shot one of her sacreds at the darkness above but she'd missed, and the hostages were rushing after again.

"What can we do to make them stop!?" Ellie yelled. Chrono looked closely on the hostages necks and they had little spiders on them hanging on to a web above in the darkness.

"Ellie, try to shoot fire above their heads!" Chrono commanded her.

"Alright…" Ellie said unsure but as she shot flames above the hostages, the webs gotten unattached and all the hostages came falling down.

"NO!" Rizel yelled. Then Marie aimed at the source of the voice, and shot more sacreds, but no luck.

"Muhahahaha! You might be lucky today Marie, but next time…_next_ time we will sure to have you and Rosette Christopher…." Then the voice faded away in the train station. Marie growled again and tried to stand up, but after all the missions she had today she barely had any strength.

"Need any help?" Ellie asked. But Marie shook. "No, we need to help Remington the most. I'm fine trust me." Marie half smiled.

~~~* * *~~~

Back at the entrance room of Grand Central Station, All the hostages were trying to get up and recover from the incident, while Father Remington had trouble getting up.

"Father Remington!" Marie, Chrono, and Ellie yelled. Ellie helped him up.

"Thank you…" He whispered. Then Marie spotted medium yellow envelope on the floor.

"Oh Marie, would you mind picking that up for me?" Remington asked.

"Sure." Marie answered with a smile. She picked it up and looked what it said in front; _Reports of the missing_.

"What is this?" Marie said as she begun to open it.

"It's a report of the people who went missing trying to find Rosette's brother on alone missions on cities over the country. And there are some reports from which Aion has held hostage. I was sent here to pick up this report today." Remington explained.

Marie looked at the reports and went deeper inside the envelope and grabbed some pictures at the bottom. There were four photos. One was a picture of a young blonde fifteen year-old boy in a suit.

"Wait!" Chrono said.

"This is Joshua! Rosette's brother!" Chrono grabbed the photo and looked at it. Ellie gotten curious and looked at the photos along with Marie, and she saw a picture of a dark haired sixteen year-old girl wearing something that Ellie recognized.

"Wait! This is Rach! Oh my God!" She quickly took the photo away.

And Marie looked at the next one, this one also looked like a sixteen year-old girl and she had short black hair and wore a beautiful maid outfit.

She flipped it over and the next photo that just shock her to death.

The last photo contained a picture of a seventeen year-old boy also wearing a suit and had very dark brown, medium sized hair.

"Peter…"


	23. Preparing

Chapter 23 Preparing

"Hmm?" Marie opened her eyes and woke up with Chrono sitting up on the side of the bed smiling.

"Hey sleepy head." He said.

"What happened? The last thing I remember is being back at Grand Central Station." Marie asked while she putted her hand on her head.

"You fell from exhaustion when we were looking through the photos in the report. Your body was all covered in cuts and bruises, no wonder you fell." Chrono smiled again.

Marie flipped her blanket up and saw bandages all wrapped around her. Then she sat up.

"No." Chrono said as he gently pushed her back down on the bed.

"You need more rest; you need more than a day to be walking around in that position." But Marie shook.

"But my brother is alive back there and I need to save him!" Chrono looked at Marie surprised.

"Your brother is alive? Was he in the photos?" He asked. Marie simply nodded.

"Yeah and I-," Chrono wrapped the heavy blanket around Marie before she even gotten up.

"No, you need three days of rest worth…I'll be back to check on you later, okay?" He grinned the second time.

Marie slowly nodded as Chrono got off the bed and went out her doorway.

~~~* * *~~~

"Joshua…" Rosette said in her room with his picture in her hands. A gentle knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in." Rosette said with a little pitch of sadness. Then Chrono walked in. Rosette looked up at him and smiled.

"Hey Chrono." She said. Chrono smiled and went and sat by her on her bed. Rosette looked back at the photo, seeing her little brother walking normally through the crowd.

"I can't believe somebody found him…I just can't believe it. But the only question is, where could we find him?" Rosette's memories with her with her brother came into her mind while she closed her eyes. Moments with her and him playing outside the orphanage, finding Chrono, and when all three of them played together. All of those moments made Rosette shred tears. She placed his photo on the side, and turned to hug Chrono.

Tears fell from her eyes of when she cried. Chrono embraced her and held her tightly. "We'll find him." Chrono whispered into her left ear.

"And we'll succeed our promise of all three of us being together."

~~~* * *~~~

After everybody seeing the photos and the proof that Marie, Rosette, and the element sisters siblings were alright, everybody dashed into Sister Kate's office begging and pleading her to go alone to search for their hostaged siblings. But Sister Kate refused and told everyone that they need more skill and practice before they ever went alone on a mission. And she told them that after the year is over, they can head out on January 1st.

As the months rolled on by, practice after practice, mission after mission, it was the middle of November. Five whole months after they had received the news, and those five months really helped everyone getting stronger.

~~~* * *~~~

"Ha! You guys didn't get any stronger yet?" Nate laughed while Rosette and Ellie walked out with sad and yet mad looks on their faces.

"Guys even I tried convincing Sister Kate. But nothing is going to work out, she said to wait till the end of the year." Marie said while sitting on the edge of the well outside.

"Wait I got idea!" Rosette said cheerfully.

"We can go on strike!" But everyone stared at her like she was a psycho.

"Bad idea…" Ellie and Marie said at the same time.

"Hey guys!" Chelsea and Azmaria said in the distance, running over to their group of friends.

"Any luck?" Azmaria asked shyly. Rosette shook.

"Nope, that mean-old militia leader won't let us." Rosette pouted.

"Rosette, pouting won't solve anything. Can't we just wait for one more month? I mean if we go now then we will be missing Thanksgiving and Christmas." Ellie said. But Rosette still pouted.

"Ugh I need to noogie somebody! Where is Chrono when you need him!?" Rosette turned to look around but seeing nothing but the stairway. "Chrono! Where are you!?" Rosette yelled.

Then Chrono got out of the next building and walked down the steps.

"Okay, okay, where's the fire?" Chrono said walking over to Rosette. Rosette smiled evilly at him. "Noogie time!" she said. Marie gently pushed Rosette. "Chrono didn't do anything, so why noogie him!?" Marie argued. Rosette pointed at him. "Just look at him! His head is perfect for noogieing!" Chrono toke a few steps back and begun running. Rosette noticed.

"Hey! Come back here you little devil!" Rosette chased after him, along with Marie on her side.

"Just leave me alone!" Chrono said dashing away out of their sight.

~~~* * *~~~

"Yes we see him now!" Marie said while she drove her model T with Chrono, Rosette and Azmaria in the car. Another car beside them was Ellie's model T, and Chelsea was in the passengers while Nate in the back. They were yet on another mission to destroy another demon, which was causing havoc on the huge road ahead.

"Okay guys let's hurry up!" Rosette yelled as Marie parked the car and everybody gotten out ready, same for the element sisters and Nate. While they charged at the huge thing, a women with really long red hair and a yellow uniform stepped out. She yelled a couple of German words and _poof!_ There was a big light blue monster/warrior behind her.

"Now attack!" She yelled in German and made the blue warrior behind her slashed the demon in half.

"Ok, all done!" The German woman said. Then her blue warrior disappeared. When she turned to walk away, she was in face to face with Rosette, Marie, and the others behind. Ellie and Chel's stared at her madly.

"I know you! You also left during one of the demon battles we had one year ago!" Ellie pointed her scythe at her. "Jewel witch!"

"Yeah I remember you two element enchanters. You guys were a pair of weaklings!" Satella laughed.

"GRAGGH!!!" Ellie tried to charge at her but Chelsea held her back.

"Chrono who is that?" Marie asked.

"Satella, we met her beginning of this year. She's a jewel summoner, remember I told you about her back when we first encountered Ellie and Chelsea?" Marie thought back.

"Yeah…I remember." Meanwhile Ellie quitted struggling and stood by her sister while making a nasty glare at her. "Ok, since I' am finished with my duty here, I shall be leaving." Satella said with a German accent and walked away.

"No wait!" Rosette ran to her and stopped.

"Yes, now what do you want?" Satella turned again. "You said you were looking for your lost sister right?" Rosette asked. Satella's face rose.

"You mean you found her?" She said cheery. But Rosette shook.

"No, but we have a picture of her." Rosette went into one of her pockets and gave Satella a picture of the sixteen year-old girl with the maid outfit. Satella took it, and looked.

"It is her! She's looks almost the same as back then." For the first time ever, Satella gave Rosette a hug. "Thank you soo much for this!" She said.

"Now…" She let go of her.

"If you guys need any help, just call, okay?" Then Satella summoned another beast out from one of her jewels and a light bluish-green monster-like fish appeared. Satella got on it and they flew away.

"Wow." Marie whispered.

"She seems like a nice person, how come you don't get along with her?" Marie asked Ellie and Chelsea.

"Because she thinks that she could do anything! C'mon Chel's let's get back into the car!" Ellie grumbled. Rosette laughed.

"Just like me when I met her and yet…I have a feeling that they will become friends in no time." Rosette winked at Marie and Chrono.


	24. Noel

**AN: Yep this is the Christmas chappie, and yes I know I'm a tad bit late of posting this one up ^^' But enjoy!**

Chapter 24 Noel

"You want me to what?" Marie said shocked. Azmaria nodded.

"We need a one more singer for the Christmas play, and the next person I wanted to ask was you." Marie looked confused at her. She was certain that she would run to Rosette next, since she was more close to her, but why herself of all people?

"I don't know…I don't think I could sing well. I think your singing makes my singing look bad." Marie said uncertain.

"Well you don't know that!" Azmaria said smiling. She grabbed a hold of Marie's hand and she lead her to the Magdalene Order's church.

"Hey Sister Anna!" Azmaria said cheerfully. The one known as Sister Anna was about preparing for the choir to sing; but she turned and saw Azmaria and Marie.

"Oh hello Azmaria!" Anna sounded cheerful.

"Is this the new singer?" Anna turned to Marie. Azmaria nodded.

"Azmaria, I'm not sure about this…" Marie whispered to her.

"Come on up Marie, and sing a song to us." Anna said to Marie. Marie nodded and got on the high altar in the church while Anna gave her a book of songs. She flipped through the book till she found a song that caught her eye.

"Okay I shall sing, Star of Bethlehem." She said nervously.

"Star of Bethlehem, Star up high Miracle of the midnight sky

Let your luminous light from heaven enter our hearts

Star of happiness Star of wonder

You'll see everything afar

Fill with love the age of man

Oh light, oh holy light Oh light divine."

Anna and Azmaria clapped.

"Great! Just what we needed! Will you come and practice every afternoon at three?" Anna asked. Marie grinned and nodded.

"The Christmas play…I wonder if anybody else is in there besides me and Azmaria?" Marie thought.

~~~* * *~~~

Snow. It was the first thing Marie saw out this morning. Marie watched it softly fall down into the ground, making a world filled with only white. When Marie thought of snow she thought about the day her mother died and that she had to make a contract with Chrono, only because she had nowhere else to go back then. Snow was like a reminder of that sorrowful, sacrificial day. Marie buckled her brown Magdalene Order jacket up and begun walking through the white wonderland. And she sat on the edge of the well, waiting for her friends to arrive. She waited for fifteen minutes and still no sign of them. And when she was about to give up, Chrono came out. Marie smiled as he walked over and sat by her.

"Sorry for the long wait, I received bad news this morning." Chrono said.

"What? Did something really bad happen?" Marie asked worried. Chrono shook.

"Rosette, Chelsea, and Nate caught the sniffles and the fever as well. And I had to make breakfast for all three of them, and give them their medicine." Chrono made a little chuckle.

"Wow, I guess me, you, Ellie, and Azmaria are the only survivors." Marie laughed. Chrono laughed along too. After that, Marie's face fell and sighed at the snow.

"It brings back memories, does it?" Marie whispered. Chrono face fell as well.

"Yeah, you and Rosette had the same bad session in winter, when everything turned bad." Chrono said sadly. Marie and Chrono sighed.

"But snow can be a good thing too." Chrono smiled. "Oh it's a marshmallow world!" he had begun singing.

Marie laughed again. Marie bent down to grab some snow, rolled it up in a ball, and threw it at Chrono. Chrono shook the snow off his hair and clothes.

"Hey! That's not far!" Chrono yelled. Marie jumped up off the well and ran to grab some more snow.

"Expect the unexpected!" Marie teased.

"Yeah I'll show you unexpected!" Chrono ran and tackled Marie in the snow, which made her lose her snowball. Marie fakily cried.

"Meanie!" she said in a baby voice. Chrono laughed and helped Marie up.

"C'mon we need to shop for some presents today!" he said cheerful.

~~~* * *~~~

"Chrono…you didn't have to buy me this." Marie said while Chrono handed her a cup of hot cocoa.

"Yeah but I don't like you shivering for every five minutes too." He gave one of his famous grins.

"Ok, just meet me back here when you got everybody's gifts for Christmas." Marie nodded and they both walked off in different directions in NYC. First on Marie's list was Rosette. She's the type of person who likes guns and…well…food.

"Heh, maybe some fruitcake?" Marie giggled of the thought of that. She passed a couple stores till she saw something on the stores windows that might Rosette liked. It was a decorated antique gun that had designs all over it. She went to the store and bought the sliver gun.

Next it was Azmaria's turn. She just barged into another store and looked around to find something Azzy will like. And there, she saw a furry teddy bear (it was white and it had wings on the back.) She bought it.

Next up was Ellie and Chelsea. "Something that has to do with fire and air…fire and air…" Marie said over and over. Marie had to look in two different stores for their gifts. Marie bought some red scented candles for Ellie, and for Chel's a fan with Japanese symbols.

Then Marie came across a jewelry store and stood there a bit, and drank some of her hot cocoa that Chrono bought for her. "Maybe I should give a gift to Satella, even if I saw her once." She decided to step inside and bought her an aquamarine necklace.

"And last is…Chrono." Marie blushed. Not to think what to give him.

"Ugh!" Marie slapped herself.

"I should have asked him what he what he wanted!" Then she sighed.

"Well, there _are_ a few more stores ahead of me. Maybe I can just search what he would have wanted." Then Marie searched, and searched, and searched…but nothing really seems to be in Chrono's ally.

"Ugh, I give up…maybe I would search tomorrow then." Marie half smiled.

She walked back to the place where Chrono told her to meet him at, and he was there. Swinging the bags he had back and forth. He grinned at her.

"Ok, you done?" He asked. Marie made a nervous smile. "Yep."

~~~* * *~~~

"So, uh…what do you think?" Chrono asked Rosette in the mess hall, they were making decorations for Christmas and costumes for themselves when they have to give out the presents that the Order has collected and gift wrapped to the kids this year.

Rosette looked at Chrono, who was wearing tiny antlers.

"Do you think you could make them a little bigger? You got to make them look big soo everybody will know you're a reindeer the minute they see you!" Rosette said.

Chrono gave a puzzled look. "Are you nuts? They'll fall off like that." Chrono said twiddling with his antlers.

"Ha! If only your horns weren't broken, then we will glue the antlers to that!" Rosette laughed. Chrono twitched back.

"I think I would scare people off with my true form…heh heh. Plus should a demon be celebrating Christmas?" Chrono asked.

"Well you're a good little devil soo…yeah!" Rosette grinned.

"Umm Rosette…?" Chrono asked.

"Hmm?" Rosette said while decorating a wreath.

"What will Marie like for Christmas? I mean…I couldn't find anything for her yesterday." Rosette looked at Chrono serious.

"Well, what are Marie's hobbies? And what does she like?" Rosette asked. Chrono thought for a little while.

"Well she does like to paint and she likes daisies…" Rosette snapped her fingers. "There you have it!" She grinned as she got back to work on the wreath.

"Alright, well I better be off finding her a gift…" Chrono said heading towards the exit.

As Chrono was about to open the door, Marie ran in and bumped into Chrono and they fell. Rosette couldn't help but laugh.

"Heh, sorry I'm late." Marie rubbed her head. "I had to practice singing for the play and I had to do something till I lost track of time." Chrono laughed and helped her up.

"Well can you help Rosette in my place for the decorations and costumes? I got to run an errand." Chrono said heading toward the door.

"Wait!" Marie grabbed Chrono's hand and stopped him. He blushed. Marie took the antlers off his head. "You can't be running off looking like a deer." Marie grinned. Chrono blushed more.

"Ok, I'm off." Then he was gone.

As Marie was walking towards the table that Rosette was working at, Rosette looked at her strange.

"What?" Marie asked.

"There's something on your face…red and yellow stuff?" Rosette pointed. Marie touched her face and saw the stuff on her fingers. "Oh that! Well…I was…eating a red yellow cupcake before I came!" Marie fakily grinned.

"Really?"

Marie quickly nodded.

"Okay…." Rosette said strangely.

~~~* * *~~~

"Ugh, there's nothing that Marie will like in that store." Chrono thought as he went out the 5th store he's been in.

"Maybe I should give up….No, just one more store to look in and I will be on my way."

As Chrono entered the next, he wondered around the racks, to see anything that Marie will like. "Nothing, nothing…Oh and guess what? Nothing!" Chrono said in his mind.

"Can I help you sir?" The old man who owned the shop asked him.

"Oh, umm not really…I doubt if you find anything." Chrono said hopeless.

"Well I can try, what are you looking for?" The man asked again.

"Well I' am looking for something that my old girl friend will like. She's a type of girl who's into creative things." Chrono said softly.

"And I don't want to give her anything that she doesn't like." Chrono blushed a little.

"Hmm your friend who's into creative things…Come with me sir." The old man said kindly. As Chrono followed him into the next room, there was everything needed for arts and crafts on each of the racks.

Chrono slowly thought and picked up some new paint and brushes for Marie. And headed toward the glass counter to pay them, through the glass counter he saw some jewelry all lined up. At the last one he saw a necklace with diamond daisies chained all around. Chrono looked at the price below it and said it was $100. Chrono sighed as the man cashed his stuff.

"You really like her, don't you?" The man asked. Chrono blushed to a deep red when he asked that question.

"Well uh…you can say that we're very close." He said shyly. Without any reply, the man opened up the glass counter on his side and grabbed the daisy necklace and handed it to Chrono with the other gifts.

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't have much money to pay for this necklace." Chrono said handing it back. But the man shook.

"It will be a free gift, and besides you like her? Don't you?" The man winked. Chrono smiled. "Thank you, sir." Then he walked out of the store with Marie's gifts.

~~~* * *~~~

"Good luck Azmaria, good luck Marie!" Rosette and Ellie shouted from the audience. Marie smiled from the choir group on the side of the stage wearing long white robes.

Chrono came by and waved to Marie blushing a bit. Marie smiled and waved back.

Rosette stared at Chrono. He looked at her weirdly.

"What?!" he yelled.

"Aren't you going to wish Marie luck or what?!" Rosette whispered to Chrono's ear harshly.

Then Chrono yelled and wished Marie luck, she smiled and waved again to him and her friends.

The Christmas play started and the actors showed pregnant Mary and her husband searching for a place to stay at night. Till it got near to ending, Azmaria appeared wearing her angel costume. After her soft words were spoken, the choir began singing. And while singing, the light glared out of the windows and onto the choir, and Marie's golden wings begun to show.

"Wow…" Everyone said in the audience. As choir was done, the play was finished. After everybody left, Rosette gave Marie and Azmaria a group hug.

"You were awesome back there!" Rosette un-embraced them. "How did you use your powers when you're not healing anybody?" But Marie shrugged.

"I didn't know how to do it ether."

Rosette smiled.

"Well since the play is finished, we better be helping giving out the presents in the orphanage in the city nearby." Rosette winked back at Ellie and Chelsea, knowing what to do.

"But we don't have costumes like you guys…" Azmaria said. Rosette pointed her finger at her.

"Wrong! You guys will be going as angels! C'mon Chrono!" Rosette said running while grabbing Chrono's hand. "We got some changing to do!"

In the horse drawn carriage, Rosette and Chrono was driving the carriage with their costumes on. Rosette was wearing the Santa outfit and Chrono had his reindeer one.

And Marie and Azmaria were in the back of the carriage with the presents; with the robes on they had before and had fake wings on. Some people were cheering happily when they traveling along. "Merry Christmas!" Rosette waved happily. Marie and Azmaria looked down and saw them and smiled.

"Weird, this will be my first Christmas." Azmaria thought.

As they reached the orphanage, Rosette, Chrono, Marie, and Azmaria gave out presents to every orphan child. On the way back to the Order again, Chrono sat by Marie with a grin on his face.

"What are you grinning about? I'm not sad…am I?" Marie said confused.

"No, it's just something you'll have to see back at the Order." He said, still with a smile.

Back at the Order, the lights were on in the main building and Marie and Azmaria walked in first, as soon they walked through the doors, _Boom!_ There was colored confetti flying around and most of the Order was standing in front of them.

"Merry Christmas, Marie and Azmaria!" They cheered.

"Huh?" Marie said confused. "Why are we the center of attention here?"

Sister Kate smiled.

"It's only because you two had done soo well this year as new exorcists that we had to do something." Father Remington went up to them.

"Yes, and for you two to do a glorious job here, we decided to throw this party." He smiled.

"Yep!" Chelsea cheered.

"Ta da!" Ellie stepped behind and showed them two the huge 10 foot tall Christmas tree.

"Heh! Now here's my new invention, the electric Christmas tree!" Elder announced and pressed his remote control and the tree lit up with colored lights.

"Oh, wow!" everybody said amazed. Marie smiled.

"Thanks guys for doing this for us."

Moments later, everyone started eating (especially Rosette). After that, Marie handed out to her friends, the unique gun for Rosette, the teddy bear for Azmaria, the candles for Ellie, the fans for Chel's, and the necklace for Satella (she surprisingly came). And her friends gave her gifts as well.

And her last gift to give to was Chrono, He was drinking some hot cocoa and looking up at the big Christmas tree.

"Hey Marie." Chrono smiled at her.

"M-Merry Christmas!" Marie said nervous as she handed Chrono his present. He opened it and it revealed a beautiful autumn painting, with a sunset in the background.

"I figured that you didn't have the painting I made you back then. So I made you a copy, a better copy." Marie said.

"Wow Marie, thank you soo much. Would you mind coming outside for a few seconds?" Chrono asked. As Chrono and Marie got in front steps outside, they saw it was snowing. Chrono handed Marie his present to her. Marie grabbed and opened it and revealed some paint brushes and a sparkling daisy chained necklace. Marie grinned big.

"….Chrono, you shouldn't have." Marie said.

"Do you want me to put it on for you?" Chrono asked softly. Marie handed Chrono the daisy necklace and his gently put it on her.

"There." Marie couldn't stop smiling. "Merry Christmas, Chrono." Marie blushed. Chrono did a little blush too.

"You too, Marie."


	25. Appeared

**AN: Gosh, I'm in the zone with this XP I hope I did well with this one...**

Chapter 25 Appeared

"In Heaven, a sprit doth dwell, whose heart-strings are a lute; none sing so wildly well as the Angel Israfel!" Rosette sung in the car. This was everyone's first time leaving the New York Branch and head off in different ways. Everyone realized that they won't be seeing other for awhile now but it's the only way for all of them to find their siblings. Marie looked out her window, seeing the leafless trees pass by in the countryside. Chrono looked at her worriedly.

"Is there anything wrong?" He asked her quietly. Marie turned to him and shook her head slowly.

"Nope, it's just…" There was a short pause. "…We won't see everybody once we get on the train, well maybe Rosette and Azmaria for a couple of hours on the train ride but not Ellie, Chelsea and Nate. They have to go on another train than us."

"But it will only be two weeks." Rosette counted in. "And after that, we will see each other back in Grand Central."

"Yeah!" Azmaria said cheerfully.

Marie smiled at the two of them and looked at the back, seeing Ellie's car following them to Grand Central.

"We've been soo worried and busy lately that we've never had any fun time lately." Marie whispered as she lay back comfortly in her seat again, leaning against the car door.

"You know, I think it will be a good idea that we find a place to camp out for tonight before we head out for the train tomorrow. You know, just to spend time with each other before we head off?" Chrono said smiling.

"Yeah! And I heard the weather report say that it's going to be in the middle 70s today. Weird weather for December but still…" Rosette said chipper. "Chrono!"

"Uh? Yes?" Chrono sounded scared.

"Call the Element sisters and Nate! We are having a break today!" She yelled happily. Chrono quickly nodded and smiled has he reached for the phone on his weapon pack in the trunk of the car and called Ellie's number.

~~~* * *~~~

As Rosette and Ellie parked their cars along a dirt road on the countryside, they all stepped out in shock. The air was fresh and nice and the scenery was amazing! Well not that amazing, the trees all lost their leafs and the grass was pale. But at least there was a running stream!

"YAY!" Rosette and the others yelled when they jumped in the small creek, but afterwards they screamed and jumped out saying that the water is cold. But they jumped right back in and got used to it.

Marie leaned against Rosette's car and sighed happily while a warm breeze blew through her brown short hair. Chrono went and stood by her.

"Almost reminds you of where we used to live at huh?" Chrono asked.

"Yeah, but if you count the trees having leaves and the ground being covered by daisies, it will definitely look the same."

"Can't wait to go back?" Chrono asked smiling still.

"Yes," Marie smiled along too. "Even if it won't look the same as we first met, but I still can't wait."

Chrono chuckled. "You know not just our place but it reminds me of the place where I met Rosette. You and both lived in the countryside, and it's kind of hard to believe that you and her almost have the same lifestyle."

Marie laughed. "I know it's weird." Then an idea came into her mind.

"Well then…" Marie said while sticking her head up high smiling while Chrono waited for her to finish.

"…Beat you at the bottom!" Marie yelled as she spirited off the model T and ran down the hill to the lake.

"Hey! No fair Marie!" Chrono said while he spirited off as well. As Marie got to the edge of the creek, she jumped up and down with victory.

"Yes, I win I win I win!!!"

Chrono ran up to her and sighed. "I hate when you do that, Marie. Well when you're not prepared, Im going to do what you did! Muhahaha!" He fakily evil laughed.

"I the Sinner Chrono shall defeat in the next race!" He sounded confident. Marie pushed him gently.

"Stop being evil!" She laughed.

"Well _I' am_ a demon you know!" Then Chrono pushed her back. As they continued with their pushings, a huge wave of water got on them two, making them drenched.

"What's with you two being the only ones not in?!" Rosette pointed at them with her index finger.

"Yeah, it's more fun in here than out there!" Chelsea smiled.

Marie and Chrono both looked at them puzzled but then stared at each other when grins on their faces.

"Well in _that_ case!" Marie and Chrono both said as they jumped right into the creek. Once in, there was a never ending splash battle between the seven friends, and grins and laughter filled the peaceful countryside.

~~~* * *~~~

"Achooo!" Rosette sneezed and stuff came running out of her nose. Chrono looked at her disgusted and wiped her nose with his towel that was hung around his neck.

"Heh heh thanks." Rosette said embarrassed while taking the towel. "Welcome." Chrono sounded cheerful.

"Ugh…my soul's getting weak everyone. I need a break." Ellie admitted while she made the campfire that everyone was around in, really big so everybody could be filled with everlasting warmth on the cold December night. But as she stopped, the fire shrunk to a plain medium size. Marie shivered, wanting more warmth.

Chrono looked and huddled close to her and made her and him share his red jacket. Marie blushed to a deep red.

"Are you warm now Marie?" Chrono asked. She nodded.

Rosette looked at them, the two huddling close together like a couple. She smiled at first but her smile turned to a jealous frown.

"I guess you're happy with her Chrono…" She thought. "If it only makes you happy…"

Meanwhile Ellie tried to make the fire big again, but it was useless. But she started playing with the huge flame by turning the colors to red to blue to purple.

"Wow…" Everyone but the Element sisters were amazed.

"You know," Ellie started. "Anyone could be an element summoner, not just us, it just that you have to find the element that matches with you and it depends how strong your soul is."

"Oh! I want to know!" Nate shouted. Ellen thought.

"Darkness." She spoke. Nate didn't look happy.

"But I have that already." He pouted. Ellie laughed. "Sorry, but that's your element mister."

Then Ellie looked at everyone else and she knew which element that each of her friends had.

"Ok, I'll tell what your elements are. Rosette, you have fire. Chrono, you have darkness like Nate. Marie, you have light. And Azmaria, you have light as well." Ellie grinned after she spoke.

"Wow that's Jake! I can't wait to try it!" Rosette jerked up excited, but Chelsea told her that once you use the element, your soul will feel emptied in the end. Rosette knew how that felt (Since she was once on contract with Chrono) so she sadly sat back down.

"Achoo, Achoo, Achoo!" Azmaria sneezed very quickly. Everyone laughed.

"Heh he sorry…my sneezes are kind of weird." Azmaria said embarrassed. After everyone settled down, Rosette smiled at everyone else's smiles, then she laughed.

"This is funny, you guys have gotten happier. Whenever I first met all of you, you all had those sour puss looks on your faces."

Everybody looked at each other surprised. Rosette smiled bigger smile and talked again.

"Even some of you guys heard my advice before, but I'm going to say it over again. If you're having fun, _have_ fun. And when you're angry, _be_ angry. And if you want to cry your eyes out, _do_ it. Because after you cried you feel better, and you will be able to smile again. But if your sad and force yourself to smile, the only person that's hardest on is you…But that's what everybody tells me!"

Everyone giggled. After Rosette's advice, everybody fell asleep. Marie tried to keep warm by huddling in Chrono's jacket, but since it's meant for Chrono's size, it's kind of hard to share. Chrono poked one eye open to see her.

"You're cold?" He asked.

Marie shook her head and shivered some more. Chrono chuckled and wrapped one arm around Marie and made her lay against his chest.

"Sorry that my jacket's not big enough." Chrono said embarrassed. "But are you warm now?"

Marie blushed fully and nodded. "Thank you." She said softly.

"Your welcome." Chrono said chipper in a soft way. After a few minutes when Chrono tried to fall asleep again, something startled him. Something great with evil coming his way…

He _knew_ this kind of evil.

"N-No…" Chrono whispered. All of the sudden, the ground shook and great black dust rose up from the earth. Chrono quickly carried Marie and dodged. Everybody woke up from the sudden earthquake and freaked out.

"Chrono?" Marie asked worried. But Chrono was too frightened to answer.

As he and Marie gotten up, a big dark eagle flew above the blackened dust and as the dust disappeared, revealed a man holding the same eagle that flew, wearing all white and gleaming glasses.

It was Aion.

The bright red moon appeared above him, making his glasses gleam a bright maroon color. Aion smiled and looked at everyone with their shocked faces. He looked at Marie and Chrono the most.

"Ah, what a wonderful reunion this is! I've wanted to see all of you together in one place in a long, long time." Aion said ominously.

Chrono growled deep. "Aion!" He said his name with deep hatred. Aion replied by smiling evilly.

Ellie stared at the man, recognizing him. She growled at the painful memory when she saw her sister die from him. Ellie quickly summoned her scythe and her phoenix.

"You, murder! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY WHAT YOU DID TO RACHEL AND AMY!!!" She yelled.

Her blade of her scythe was covered in crimson flames as she charged at Aion. Chrono yelled telling her to stop, but she ignored him. As she stoke at Aion, he grabbed the scythe just in time and he pushed Ellie away. The phoenix tried to attack Aion of what it did to its master, but Aion's eagle destroyed it by one swoop in the air of its wings.

"Ellen, Ellen, Ellen…" Aion shook his head while he snapped her scythe in half, dissolving in flames while it disappeared. "…You always try avenging your sisters, but why do that? They are not going to come back alive again. But of course I almost forgot, I _did_ bring one of four sisters back form the dead. She is very useful."

"WHERE IN THE HELL IS SHE!?" Ellie demanded.

"Oh you think I would tell you? San Francisco? St. Louis? Who knows where she could be? It's something for you and your friends to find out."

"You know where she is! TELL US!" Chelsea yelled as she summoned her wind bird after him, but like with Ellie's bird, Aion's eagle destroyed it.

"I already told you…" Aion said while with his demonic power, forcing Ellie and Chelsea tumble down to the creek they were once in. "…I won't tell you."

"ELLIE, CHELSEA!" Nate ran down to help them.

Now it was Rosette's turn, she grabbed a secret gun out of one of her pockets and aimed at Aion.

"Oh! Dear Rosette Christopher! It's been a long time since I've seen you. So, how has your life been? I can tell it has been wonderful." Aion chuckled.

"SHUT UP! NOW TELL ME WHERE JOSHUA IS OR I'LL KILL YOU!" Rosette yelled, maybe even louder than Ellie.

Aion chuckled more now. "Funny, if you kill me then you will know nothing where your brother is. And I'll doubt any of the other Sinners will tell you."

"Tell. Me. Now!" She said each word slowly.

"Oh growing impatient are we? If so…" He said while forcing Rosette to a nearby boulder and slammed her back against it.

"OWW!" She yelled in pain.

"ROSETTE!" Chrono yelled and he charged over to see her but Aion grabbed him by the throat and held him up.

"Chrono!" Marie yelled.

"Where is the Chrono that wanted to change Pandemonium for me? Come back, let's have fun again! What do these 'creatures' mean to you? All what they are just weak bodies of flesh!" Aion said.

Chrono tried to make him unleash himself, but his grip was very strong.

"You…never know….what they mean…to me." Chrono said through breaths.

"What a big failure you become. Pitiful…" Then Aion gripped Chrono's neck till a disgusting crack was heard, and he threw him forcefully to a tree by a nearby forest.

"CHRONO!!!" Marie yelled and ran to him but Aion forced Marie back with his power.

"You are soo predictable, Mary Magdalene…" Aion said to her. "I would not worry about him; he's going to die soon after you had your punishment, and after I will kidnap the child of charity."

Azmaria gasped as she hid in forest nearby where Chrono is at.

"But after that's out of the way, I'll come back for you to see that your powers had become more of use, the one of faith." He grinned afterwards.

Marie looked down and close her eyes and shook her head, and then she looked up at Aion again.

"Tell me where Peter is!" She demanded.

"Again with the sibling issue." Aion said while he pulled up his glasses with his index finger, his glasses gleamed from the bonfire. "You know, I would take you to him if you come with me. Do we have a deal?"

"JUST TELL ME WHERE HE IS!!!" Marie ignored Aion's question. "TELL ME!!! DAMN IT!!!" She cursed. Aion smiled evilly again.

"Oh, you shouldn't be cussing at me. After all what I did to save you and your brother from death, Marie or I should say Mary?"

Marie quickly bent down and grabbed Rosette's gun that she dropped while Aion forced her to a nearby boulder, and she aimed the gun at him, loaded with the Gospel.

"You didn't save us at all, the only reason why you brought me back to life is because you wanted Chrono to come back and join your little Sinner group. And after you learned my little apostle secret, you probably brought Peter back to life in order for me to come back to you to see him, but in other case, you'll have me hostage here and there. And I won't…let you have me again. If you don't want to tell me then I can find Peter on my own and destroy any more Sinners that will block my way. So, bye devil!"

Marie quickly aimed and shot the Gospel at Aion. When she did shot him, the holiness of the bullet made white feathers dance in the air, Marie looked ahead to see if he was dead or not, but he was still standing with an evil grin on his face. There was no blood, no injury, nothing.

Aion walked slowly to her with his head shaking. "Very predictable…"

Marie tried walking back but somehow her legs won't move. "Did Aion do this?" she thought.

As Aion got very close to her he placed his index finger on her chin and leaned his face close.

"Time for your punishment, Mary Magdalene…you will become of my aid soon enough…soon enough…" he whispered the last words and his face drawn nearer and nearer to hers.

Marie quickly drew tears from her eyes. She couldn't move or run away, she was stuck as standstill as the murder of her family leaned close to her lips, and then kissed her. French kissed her. Marie closed her eyes, pretending this wasn't happing. All what she was thinking in her mind was Chrono. She needed help.

"Get…GET AWAY FROM HER!!!" Chrono yelled despised in the distance. His eyes were glowing blood red and he had a very demonic look on his face. And before you know it, darkness swirled around him and it repaired his broken neck.

Aion released Marie and turned to Chrono. "That's right, that's the Chrono I needed all along." He laughed after that.

Chrono growled loud from the swirling darkness around him. "AION!!!" He yelled in complete hatred.

When Marie fell on the ground from Aion she tried to call him, but the roaring of the darkness made Chrono didn't hear her call. Her pocket watch shocked chronically.

"CHRONO STOP!!! PLEASE!!!" Azmaria screamed and came out from her new hiding place from behind the boulder; the same one Rosette was leaning on.

Chrono heard her and the darkness disappeared, making him stop the transformation process.

"Please I'll come with you, if you promise not take Marie away and hurt the rest of my friends!" Azmaria promised to Aion.

"No! Don't do this Azmaria! Please!" Rosette yelled and pleaded.

Aion smiled and walked to her. "There will be a time when I _have _to take Marie away…" He turned to smile at Marie. She made dirty glare while she struggled to get up from the ground.

"…But I will make a promise too, I promise I will _never _mistreat you." He almost laughed, telling that he was lying.

As Aion touched her, a beam of surrounding green light circled the bonfire area. While it did, Aion cursed and screamed than disappeared. While hiding earlier, Azmaria went from place to place to put the slivery crucifix crosses in the dirt to make Aion go away. Azmaria's secret plan.

"A crucifix barrier?" Rosette wondered as she gotten up.

Soon the barrier had ended and Azmaria grinned at Rosette. Rosette walked over to her.

"You've planned this didn't you?" She smiled. Azmaria nodded.

"Marie?" Chrono called worried to her as he held her up. "Are you alright?"

"…That jerk that perv…" Marie said madly. "Is he gone?" she then asked.

"No," Chrono answered. "it's only the beginning; Aion couldn't be defeated that way. He's much stronger than you think, Marie. In any case, we have to do our best and don't give up."

Marie slowly nodded.

In the end, everyone except Ellie and Chelsea were ok. Nate told the others that Ellie had a broken wrist while she tumbled down the hill to the creek, and Chelsea had some deep wounds on her legs. Rosette called Sister Kate the situation that they had faced and Sister Kate replied by telling them to come back to their Magdalene Order as soon as possible. While on the way there, everyone thought of where their hostage siblings might be. San Fran? St. Louis? Seattle? Miami? Denver? Who knows? They might have to travel and search everywhere to find their lost loved ones. But in the mean time, they have to talk with Sister Kate.


	26. Dream eater

**AN: Another chapter...enjoy ^^**

Chapter 26 Dream eater

"Mhmm…" Marie moaned in her sleep. She felt something soothing her on her back moving in a circular pattern. She wanted to keep sleeping but she wanted to know who was doing that to her. She sat up and saw Chrono, sitting on the edge of her bed in her room.

"Heheh…sorry did I wake you?" He softly chuckled.

"Uh no! You didn't!" Marie blushed fully to see him right in her room at this time.

"Is there anything that you wanted to tell me?" Marie asked.

Chrono frowned. "Rosette talked with Sister Kate early this morning, about the Aion incident from yesterday."

"How did it go?" she asked.

"Well…" Chrono frowned even more. "Sister Kate thinks we should stay here and have more practicing and training on missions."

"W-What?!" Marie said surprised.

Chrono nodded. "And she thinks that we will be ready during early spring."

"But Peter and everyone else's siblings…" she whispered. And then she quickly got up and rushed out of her room to Sister Kate's office by still wearing her pajamas.

"Marie!?" Chrono called from the distance, but she ignored.

~~~* * *~~~

"Why can't we go now!?" Marie argued with Sister Kate in her Office, she was not pleased.

"Our lost brothers and sisters are out there Sister Kate! You've rather make us_ practice_ more and in the mean time make them _suffer _from being hostaged by the Sinners?!"

"ENOUGH!" Sister Kate yelled at the tip of her lungs.

"NO!" Marie yelled back.

"SISTER MARIE!" Father Remington yelled at Marie while sitting in his lounge in the right corner of the office. He stood up and walked next to her.

"Sister Kate, may I have permission to speak with Marie alone?" Remington asked. Sister Kate calmed down and nodded as she got up from her desk and went on to the next room by her office.

"Mind if we talk?" Remington led Marie to a short table with two chairs behind the lounge. She nodded and sat in a chair, Remington doing the same.

"There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about in a long period of time now." Remington started. "And it's about you."

Marie stared at the blonde minister serious. "About me?"

"You don't realize how much you are worth to the demons Marie, especially to the Sinners."

"Is it because I'm an apostle?" Marie said plainly and sighed. Remington nodded.

"Do you know of a woman named, Mary Magdalene?"

Marie thought back and remembered Chrono telling some things about her. He was the second woman he met after she died; she also was an apostle and she had made a contract with Chrono.

"Yes." Marie shortly answered.

"She was an apostle, but not just _any_ apostle; she was the special one chosen by God. She had the power to predict the future and knew everything about the world. She was like a vase filled with information, and she written every prediction she knew in a book here in the Order's libraries."

"Wow." Marie said.

"But in any case, back to our discussion…There's something I wanted to tell you since that mission of the demon who token and killed the hostage people in the Dragonfly Inn….Your power is different than most apostles, when you used your apostle form on that night of that mission, your light shone soo bright that I could see you from there to here. And that is several miles away. A lot of miles…"

"And what your saying is?" Marie asked impatiently.

"That you are the chosen one. You're the grand apostle, the holy woman, the gold angel. You are just like Mary Magdalene."

Marie froze. And she remembered Aion calling her Magdalene yesterday. Is this what Aion meant?

"W-What? What do you mean by that?"

"Your power explains it all Marie, very soon you will experience more powers just like Mary had, making you more desirable. This is the part me and Sister Kate worry about, you might get easily taken by a demon or one of the Sinners. This is why me and Sister Kate made this decision now. After what happened yesterday, you all need more practice and skill before you go by yourself in the outside world. It will only be two months. No more."

Marie's face saddened. Remington smiled.

"Don't worry, you will see your older brother soon enough." He chuckled.

Marie slowly smiled. And soon the discussion ended, leaving Marie to question herself. What powers will she have and experience? Why was _she_ the special one? I guess it was a group of questions that she would have to figure out by herself.

~~~* * *~~~

"What? A dream eater?" Chrono said surprised in the passenger seat in the model T. They were on their way to Manhattan for another mission. Marie nodded.

"Yeah, it's something we have to defeat on this mission. Just stay on your toes and we could get through this, we need to be the best if we are getting out of the New York Branch." She said serious while driving.

"But you don't know what a dream eater could do to you Marie! It can just sneak into you without you knowing, and when it turns into night it will go deep into your thoughts and release your deepest fears and they will turn into nightmares! In the end, you can't wake up! Then the nightmares will get worse and worse till you die from fear. These demons are tricky Marie!"

After Chrono's explanation, Marie drove a little faster.

"Let's get this over with." She said with no emotion.

While they reached to their destination, Chrono got his weapon pack on his back and he gave Marie a gun. They walked into the deserted building of where the dream eater was hiding and since inside the building was dark, they wouldn't know if the demon popped from behind, front, from the right, from the left, who knows?

"If only Ellie was here." Marie whispered. "Do you know what this demon looks like Chrono?" Marie asked her partner.

"Well I have only seen it once. They are black and see-through, and they might take form of a man or a woman."

"Black? It's not going to help us if the demon is camouflaged in the darkness."

"Don't worry, I have night vision, soo I could tell you if I sense or see something."

"Lucky." Marie pouted.

"It's just all about being a demon. Now enough talk, let's find this devil."

As Marie looked around, Chrono followed beside her everywhere she went. She sighed.

"It won't help if you are following me everywhere."

"Hey! Do I have a right to protect my contractor? I don't want anything happening to you." Chrono said soft and serious.

Marie turned to him, even it was dark she knew that he was making a sweet innocent face. She sighed again.

"Let's split up, this building is too big to wonder around together. I want to get this mission over and done with, and it creeps me out if some demon is watching me."

"Hey!" Chrono sounded offended.

"I didn't mean you!" Marie said quickly.

While Marie and Chrono were continuing their argument, the dream eater sneaked up to Marie and went into her body, without notice.

"Wait." Chrono said while stopping the argument. "What?" Marie wondered.

"I just felt something evil and then it just went away. Strange…"

"Maybe we scared it with our argument and escaped." Marie laughed.

"It might. Well I don't sense anything here anymore, we better check out the other nearby buildings to see if it's there." Chrono said.

"Yeah we should." Marie said, turning serious again.

As Marie and Chrono went to the neighboring buildings beside the one they were looking in, they searched and searched and found nothing of the possessive demon. But it was in Marie all along, waiting for her to fall asleep during night.

~~~* * *~~~

"Hey Chrono, where's Marie?" Rosette asked Chrono who was walking down a hallway of a Magdalene Order building of which they stayed in. Chrono walked to her.

"I toke Marie to her room, after we tried searching for the demon today, she had a headache and wanted to rest." He said.

"Wow, you two must have been roaming a lot today." Rosette said as she placed her right hand on her hip. Chrono sighed.

"Yeah, today was a mess; I can honestly tell why Marie had a headache. How come you wanted to see Marie, Rosette?" Chrono asked softly.

"Well can a friend go visit her other friend!? She probably wants to see another person other than you these days."

Chrono made a glare. "Hey! Marie doesn't have a problem being around me!" Then Rosette grabbed his hand.

"C'mon grumpy, let's go!" And Rosette pulled him into Marie's room, which was not that far away.

~~~* * *~~~

"Where am I?" Marie said in her dream. She was alone in darkness while wearing a light long blue dress full of royal blue ribbons. She continued to walk around but after her last step, the darkness turned from a different scene. It was now a daisy field. The same place she and Chrono first met. She gasped.

"I'm back." She whispered as she walked across the flower covered plain. As she walked further, she saw two silhouettes. She walked even closer and the figures became more recognizable. It was no other than Chrono and her brother, Peter. Marie looked wide eyed at Peter, he looked exactly the same as the last time she saw him. Then she looked at Chrono, he had the same clothes he wore back then when they first met and hung around each other. Was she back in the 1850s?

"Marie!" Chrono called when he saw her. He grabbed Peter's hand and he rushed him over to her.

"Your older brother is _alive_ Marie! When I was waiting for you to come, he came up to me unexceptionally and questioned me where her younger sister is at." The 1850s Chrono grinned.

Marie froze in shock.

"This dream is _too_ perfect…" She thought and five seconds later she smiled.

"Marie…" Her brother softly said her name. Marie looked at him with her hazel eyes; he had the same dark brown hair, the same brown eyes, the same smile…

Then Marie quickly glomped her brother with a big grin on her face, she didn't want this dream to end, she would enjoy this wonderful moment as much as she can.

But that moment just all faded in a blur.

Her brother just turned into ashy dust after five seconds of hugging. The scenery turned from peaceful to chaos. The periwinkle sky turned deep crimson, and the clouds turned charcoal black, and the daisies turned into millions and millions of demon skeletons on the ground. And last she turned to Chrono; he wasn't in his cute old form anymore, he was now in his true form with an evil smirk on his face.

"Now," Chrono said with an abnormal deep voice.

"It's time for you to die."

~~~* * *~~~

Rosette and Chrono froze in shock when they entered Marie's room. They both saw Marie in bed with her head red, sweat covering her face, and she was also shaking a bit. Chrono rushed to Marie and placed his hand on her head, her temperature was unbelievably hot.

"No…NO!" Chrono yelled.

"What's wrong?!" Rosette went beside him. "Is she sick?!"

"No, the demon, the dream eater that we were searching for today must of have sneaked inside her…" Chrono closed his eyes and shook his head. "With that dream eater inside of her, she can't wake up! She'll die of fear!"

"What can we do!? I refuse to let a demon take her life!" Rosette asked wondering what she can do in a situation like this.

"I found a solution."

"Which is?" Rosette asked.

"I'm going to do a soul exorcism on her." Chrono said dead serious.

"You mean a dive?" Rosette said unsure. "But it will be your first time doing this, maybe I shoul-"

"Get Remington, and tell him the situation and what I'm planning to do" Chrono interrupted. Rosette nodded and rushed out of the bedroom to tell the minister.

When Rosette came back, Remington and Elder came with her with soul diving equipment, then Elder prepared installing the diving tools around the bedroom.

"Do you have any idea what you are thinking?" Remington asked Chrono seriously, Chrono ignored and grabbed the helmet for the exorcism and looked directly at Marie on her bed.

"It will be the first time a demon will be performing a soul exorcism on a human." Remington said while he crossed his arms. "But at least for a good cause." Then Remington looked at Marie, seeing her suffer through sweat by facing her nightmare.

"But what if you accidently steal more of Marie's soul inside of her body, Chrono? You are under contract with her right?" The Elder asked as he finished up with the final installments.

"I'll prevent that." Chrono said, still serious.

As the Elder had finished placing gear on Marie for the exorcism, he announced that the equipment was ready. All the machines across the room roared with life.

"Ok, let's go. Dive!" Chrono yelled.

~~~* * *~~~

"Aggaahh!" Marie yelled in pain while Chrono slashed her arm with his arm blade. Blood poured and rushed out of her left arm, making her light blue dress stained with red liquid. She tried to cover her arm but it was useless. Chrono came up to her again and this time slashed her cheek.

"AGGAAHH!!" She screamed. Chrono laughed.

"Never thought I was the killer of one hundred million, did you? Even they were demons; I will still have the same enjoyment on humans." He said again in his abnormal deep voice and stared at her with glowing blood-red eyes.

Marie dropped to the skeletal ground while still holding her wounds as much as possible. She looked at the monster directly at her. This wasn't Chrono; he wouldn't act or _talk_ this way. In any case she got to escape from him; he'll kill her if she just sat around with no weapons to defend herself. She got up (no matter how much pain she was in), and ran off. But unfortunately she tripped on her torn and blood covered dress and fell on the skeletal ground once more, making more injuries.

"Ow…" She whimpered. Then Chrono flew and landed in front of her, looking at Marie again with an ominous smirk.

"Goodbye." He said again in his unfamiliar voice. He raised his arm blade and he sent it right directly at her. Marie then closed his eyes, and waited for the pain to arrive. But five seconds afterward, she didn't feel anything. She then opened her eyes, and saw another Chrono in his true form in front of her, blocking the other one.

"Marie? Are you alright?" The other Chrono said. His voice was normal, just like Marie remembered.

"Yeah, uhh…well no actually." Marie looked at her wounds.

"Well, just stay where you are. I'm going to finish off this damn copycat." He grunted while he tried to push his evil twin with his arm blade.

"You think you can kill me!? The dream eater always gets his victims," The dream eater who was disguised as Chrono, begun as he pushed the real one away. "Without anybody getting in the way!"

"Chrono!" Marie yelled.

Chrono landed on a pile of demon skeletons nearby and grunted. The dream eater headed for Marie again while making that same smirk. Marie glared at the decoy poisonously and got up and ran away again, but this time she carried her dress. But didn't succeed; the dream eater caught her in time.

"Gotcha." He said deep.

"Get the hell away!" Marie pushed him aside. But the dream eater caught her again by gripping her neck with his right hand. She suffocated.

"BACK OFF! HER SOUL BELONGS TO ME!!!" Chrono yelled and ran himself to the dream eater, letting his grip on Marie go. She dropped down, held her neck and coughed.

"You ignorant fool!" The dream eater rashly pushed Chrono away again, landing again on the sharp demon bones.

"Chrono!" Marie called and ran beside him, this time. He coughed.

"Ugh, it's no use...he's stronger than me whenever I try to kill him." Chrono said as he wrapped an arm around Marie. Marie tried to think of a solution.

"Well, it's a dream right?" She said, figuring out the answer.

"Yeah…"

"And we can do _anything_ in dreams; if we don't think or do anything the dreams will overcome us. That's why we are scared to do anything in nightmares. But finally I found a way to beat this dream eater and this nightmare, all we have to do is _think_! Imagine if you have more powers then you already have or wish you were quicker..."

The dream eater charged itself toward them two.

"If we are going to defeat him, let's defeat him, _together_." Chrono said while he held his hand. Marie held up her hand as well.

While the dream eater was a few centimeters close to them, Chrono unleashed darkness out of his hand, while Marie had light.

"May the elements of ours destroy any evil that comes between us, Amen."

After that, the dream eater vanished and so did the scenery. The whole dream was covered in lightness and darkness now, a mixture of the two. Chrono grabbed Marie and held her in his arms.

"I think your soul is safe now." Chrono said sofly to her.

"Yeah." She replied while looking at the scenery around them.

"You know…we never sealed our contract back then." Chrono said while his face blushed a pale pink.

Marie then looked at him. "What do you mean by that? You mean…we were never on contract?"

"We were, but we just never sealed it, making it complete."

"Complete?" She said confused, Chrono nodded.

"How do we make it complete?"

"Well…" Chrono said shyly. "Do you mind me _kissing_ you?"

Marie blushed to the max. Her face was red as an apple.

"U-Uhhh…I-I…d-don…" She mumbled nervously.

"It will be the only way to complete our contract." Chrono said smiling.

After that she closed her eyes nervously, then she felt his hand grab hers, and then she was leaned close and his soft lips intertwined with her own. They have now sealed their contract.

~~~* * *~~~

"Mhumm…" Marie mumbled as she begun to wake up. She sat up in her bed and saw Remington, Rosette, and Chrono standing by her. Chrono made a grin.

"What happened? I felt like I was in a dream." Marie said while she placed her palm on her head.

"You were." Chrono said. "I did a soul exorcism on you to help you destroy the demon that was in your soul and dreams."

Marie rubbed her head. "Gosh, it was soo weird. I remembered the dream I had turning bad, the dream eater disguised as you, Chrono. The fake you hurting me, then you came in and we both destroyed it. But at the end you ki-"

Marie paused and fully blushed. She turned to Chrono, angrily. Chrono just blushed and twitted with his two index fingers.

"I-It was only to seal the contract! You _did_ say that we could do anything in dreams!"

"CHRONO!" Marie yelled as Chrono stormed off, out of her room. Then Marie got off her bed and chased him to and around the courtyard. Completely mad and embarrassed.


	27. Marionettes

**AN: Beware, it's a loooonnnggg chapter ^^'**

Chapter 27 Marionettes

In Chicago, there is a little grey house. But it wasn't any old house though; it was mostly a hideout for the Sinners and the hostage siblings, though the siblings were not treated as hostages. All the hostage brothers and sisters had lost all of their memory with their normal lives before the Sinners took them in even the ones with their other sibs. But Aion did tell them that they are not alone…

"I'm bored." Joshua said while he sat on the sofa. Fiore and Rachel bought in fresh tea and cookies for everyone to eat. Peter came in a grabbed a few, and so did Joshua.

"Do you ever think about her sometimes?" Joshua asked while eating with his mouth full.

"Please don't talk with your mouth full, Lord Joshua." Fiore said softly as she and Rachel went into the kitchen again.

"Yeah." Peter said, answering Joshua's question. "Ever since Aion told me I had a younger sister, I've wanted to meet her again. Do you want to meet your lost sister, Joshua?"

Joshua nodded.

"But the bad thing is, I don't know what she looks like." Peter turned sad. "Same here, I don't even know what she looks like too, buddy."

All of the sudden, a knock was heard at the entrance. Fiore quickly rushed to the door and opened it, beyond the door stood Aion. She bowed.

"Welcome home, Lord Aion." Then she walked to the side and let him pass through.

"Where are the Sinners?" He asked.

"Down in the basement like always sir." Fiore said softly. "They are waiting for Shader to finish the teleportation machine."

"Oh, soo that's why…" Aion said as he pushed his glasses close to his eyes. Then he walked to the living room and saw Joshua and Peter sitting side-to-side on the sofa. Aion went and sat between the both of them.

"Soo, how are my boys?" He said like they were both his sons.

Peter frowned. "I've been thinking about _her_ Aion, my sister." Joshua frowned as well. "Me too Lord Aion."

Aion then smirked and wrapped both of his arms around the teenage boys. "Don't worry about it, I'll let my friend Rizel pick them up tomorrow and escort them to you. After all, you two have _helped_ me very much."

Both Peter and Joshua smiled. "Thank you soo much." They said at the same time. Aion did an evil grin.

"Then the puzzle will soon be completed…only two pieces remain; the one of charity and the one of _faith_…"

~~~* * *~~~

_Chooooo Choooooo!_ The train whistled. Marie, Chrono, Rosette and the others have been accepted to leave the New York Branch. After all seven of them have been told, they immediately ran out of Sister Kate's office, to the courtyard, and into their rooms in the next building to pack. They have been waiting for this day in a very,_ very_ long time. But their chance will be slipped if they won't catch their two trains in time.

"Two more minutes till the train to St. Louis will head off. Three more minutes till the train to San Francisco will run." The intercom said in Grand Central.

"WAIT!!!" All seven friends yelled.

Then the seven friends then went off in two different directions. Ellie, Chelsea, and Nate went toward to the San Francisco train, the only place that Ellie and Chel's thought to find their revived sister. While Rosette, Marie, Chrono, and Azmaria went towards the St. Louis train. Marie and Chrono needed to be at Hillsboro to find Peter, Marie's older brother. But after they were there, Rosette and Azmaria planned to take another train, but this one to Detroit, Michigan. Rosette's only place to find Joshua was back at Seventh Bell Orphanage. She wasn't sure he'll be there but it was worth a shot.

"Bye guys! See you in one or two weeks!" Ellie yelled as her, her sister, and her demon friend disappeared to their way to their next train.

"BYE!" Marie and Rosette yelled and waved, and then all four of them stepped on to the St. Louis train. Rosette panted deeply.

"Man, it's like all we have been doing is running till we got here." She said.

"You said it." Chrono panted as well.

"C'mon guys we need to find some seats." Marie said as they went inside the train car. But inside there was lots of people, barely enough for four to sit in a seat all together.

"Uhhh…" Rosette pointed at all the people.

"Well there is more than one car, right?" Azmaria said almost quiet.

"Then let's check all of them!" Then Rosette and the others followed her to the next car. But unfortunately, there was the same amount of people in this one too. Rosette cursed.

"Maybe in the back? The caboose?" Chrono insisted.

"Yeah!" Azmaria said cheerfully. Rosette grumbled. "Let's hope that's there's a little space."

As they marched to the next car, it was empty. There weren't any people on this one. Rosette cheered. "YAY! We get the whole car to ourselves! YAY!!!"

"Oh, it looks like I have some visitors in my _rented_ car." A German speaking person said behind. Everyone turned and saw Satella, while holding her right hand on her hip.

"SATELLA!?" Everybody said shocked.

"Yes the one and only, and why are you four doing here?" She asked, again in a German accent.

"Please let us stay! All the cars that we checked are filled with people!" Rosette begged.

"Can we?" Marie asked in a sweet innocent voice.

Satella closed her eyes and held her index finger to her chin. Then she opened up her pink sapphire eyes.

"Alright, you can stay. After all you did find a picture of my older sister."

Rosette and Marie cheered and hugged Satella. "Alright! Alright! Please get off me before I change my mind!" Satella grumbled.

Azmaria and Chrono laughed.

"So…" Rosette said while releasing Satella. "Where's the food car?" She grinned.

~~~* * *~~~

In the food car, Rosette gabbled up everything that she had ordered. Marie, Chrono, and everybody else looked at her wide-eyed.

"I have never seen a person eat that fast." Marie said as she sipped her warm vanilla coffee.

"That's our Rosette…" Chrono said embarrassed.

"Ahhh…DONE!" Rosette announced while she pulled her plates away, while everyone else started to eat their breakfast.

"Mommy, I don't wanna sit in this car." A little boy whined to his mother at the entrance of the food car.

"Sorry Jimmy, but there's no place to sit in the other cars. The food car is the only car that has enough space." Then the mother and her son began walking around with their luggage, trying to find a seat. Rosette's face saddened.

"Hey, maybe they can stay in our car." She said. Satella quickly shook.

"No, there is enough you people in my car! I certainly don't need any more!" Satella said.

"Have a heart Satella!" Rosette grumbled.

"I do have a heart!" Satella yelled in German.

Then Rosette quickly stood up and walked to the mother and son. "Hello, I'm Sister Rosette. If you like, you can come and stay in our rented car. I'm sure you'll have problems if you stay in here."

"Oh! We'll be happy too!" The mother said delighted. "Did you hear that Jimmy?"

"Yay!" The little boy cheered.

"Chrono? Can you help them out? Please?" Rosette pleaded.

"Uh, sure." And he helped by carrying the luggage. Rosette and Azmaria helped as well.

"Well, we will be back you two. We need to help them get settled." Rosette smiled the apostle and the jewel witch and left. The mother stared at Marie with a smile and stopped.

"Are you just going to have coffee? That's not going to solve your hunger."

"Oh, it's just because I'm not usually that hungry in the mornings. Coffee is all I need." Marie closed her eyes and grinned.

"Nonsense, after all…breakfast is the _important_ meal of the day." The mother said as she placed a brown bag on the dining table. Then she waved and left to follow Rosette.

"Oh…What's in the bag?" Satella asked.

"I don't know…maybe cookies?" Marie said as she looked inside the bag. In there where cinnamon muffins and a photograph of somebody was in there, Marie placed her hand inside the bag and grabbed the little rectangular photo. Then she stared blankly, shocked.

The photo was a picture of Peter, her older brother. On the right side of the picture…there was something written down. A note.

"Uh…" Marie said to Satella, trying to think of an excuse. "I-I need to use the bathroom, I'll be right back!"

"Ok…" Satella said curious.

Then Marie dashed into the next car, closing the door behind her and leaning against it. She saw people looking at her weirdly but she ignored them. Then she took the photo out of the brown bag again and read the note that was on the right side of her older brother.

_Dear Sister Marie,_

_I have something urgent to discuss with you. Come into food car around 1:00. But if you ignore my message, I'll make sure to take care of your beloved Chrono and the rest of your friends…_

_Love,_

_Rizel, the Puppet Master _

Marie then gripped on the photo and thought angry thoughts.

"Why in the hell is she on here!?"

~~~* * *~~~

Back in the rented car, Marie sat on a sofa in one of the car. Chrono looked at her with her somewhat normal expression.

"Is there something wrong Marie?" Chrono had asked. Marie bolted her head up from her deep thoughts and shook.

"Nope, nothing is wrong…."

"Are you sure?" Chrono asked spacious, "You looked worried in thought."

"Nah!" Marie fakily joked. "I was thinking about something very idiotic."

"Like what?"

"…." Instead of an answer, Marie walked to the end of the caboose and laid her arms against the rails at the end, and watched the train tracks move away by the train.

"Chrono shouldn't know about this…If I did tell him, he'll die and so will Rosette, Azmaria…" The brunette thought.

"Marie…" Chrono softly whispered in the distance. In the meantime, a door shut behind him and Rosette appeared with a goofy smile on her face.

"Hey Rosette…Oh applesauce, not you too." Chrono said with a hopeless sigh.

"What are you saying?" Rosette asked. Chrono both stared at the two females back and forth.

"What I' am saying is that you two are acting strange, please I want to know what's going on."

Marie walked in the car from the outside rail and glared at Rosette for a moment. Why was she nervous?

"Well Chrono," Rosette started. "It has nothing to do with you." Her face saddened.

"Please tell me." Chrono asked calm. But unlike Chrono, Rosette yelled.

"I SAID IT'S NOTHING!" Then she calmed down. "And I wouldn't lie to you… nothing's wrong."

"You sure?"

"Yes." Rosette said and nodded at the same time. Chrono turned to Marie. But before he said anything, Marie just said, "Everything's fine."

Chrono made a short smile then he left the car without another curious question. Both Rosette and Marie sighed in relief, and then look each other in shock.

"Wait! So there is something wrong with you!" They both yelled and pointed.

"First you tell me! I saw you looking sad first!" Rosette demanded. Marie sighed.

"…I can't tell you. If I did, you'll die." Marie said with sorrow painted in her eyes. Rosette had a curious face.

"Tell me if it's a threat letter like this." Rosette said as she pulled out a photograph with her brother, Joshua. Just like with Marie's picture, it had a note scribbled aside from Joshua. Marie's eyes widened, and grabbed her photo/note from her pocket and showed it to Rosette as well.

"So you have it too." She said understood. "From Rizel?" Marie nodded.

"She's a demon who caused us problems when I tried to pick up Father Remington at Grand Central. Whatever you do, don't ever _ever_ listen to her. She's not to be trusted."

Rosette nodded and looked at the note by her brother, and then she looked at a clock in their car. It's was close to one. "It's almost 1:00 already."

"Let's go together then." Marie said as she led the way to the food car.

~~~* * *~~~

As Marie and Rosette entered the food car, they spotted Chrono, Azmaria, and Satella passing through there. Chrono smiled when he saw glance at the two girls.

"Soo, are you guys better?" He asked in his usual soft voice. Rosette sighed.

"We didn't have a problem, Chrono." She felt like a broken record. Marie gave the purple head a little nervous smile. He and the others need to get out of here soon, before Rizel does _something_. Chrono looked at Marie spacious, and yet worried again.

"Marie, there is something wrong. Your face explains it." He said. "Please tell me. I won't bother you anymore if you tell me."

Marie forced the nervousness out of her and looked normal. "I was just thinking about my brother is all. It just feels like I'll never find him. " She answered slowly, and tried not to speed the words out of her.

Chrono scarlet eyes saddened and he went to her and placed his right hand on her right shoulder. His delicate gentle hand moved to her cheek and then made her look at him.

"We'll find him." He said serious and truthfully.

After his words, he and the others walked to the exit from the food car, and the both girls heard Chrono mumble, "See you soon." before he had left.

Rosette now then looked at Marie, seeing how Chrono looked at her and when she was looking at him. Rosette did remember Chrono doing the exact same thing to her back before when Marie appeared. It was during the days when Rosette first entered the Order and she was crying one night in her room about having a nightmare about the day she lost Joshua.

Chrono heard her crying from all the way down to the Elder's workplace of where he stayed, and he luckily passed into the girl's convent, and found Rosette and sat by her and placed his hand on her shoulder and he slid it up to her cheek and said,

"I swear, we will find your brother…" He said in the softest way possible, making her calm. And then he gave her a hug and without them noticing, together they slept.

Rosette treasured that memory, deeply in her heart. As much she wanted her and Chrono to do that again…he can't. Everybody is on a mission and he finally has his first love back. _Alive_.

Maybe it was time that she should let go…

The people in the car, who were eating, suddenly started to abnormally giggle. It broke from Rosette's deep thoughts.

"Ha..ha…ha…Isn't Chrono such a sweetheart towards you?" Rizel spoke. But her voice wasn't hiding. A woman spoke with her voice. It was the same woman who gave Marie the muffins and Rosette the letter alone. She was sitting by herself at a table. She smiled sweetly at the two girls.

Marie glared at the mother.

"What a stupid demon…he knows that demons shouldn't fall in love with humans, and he's made that sin three times in a row. Don't you see, almost every single time when Chrono falls in love with you weaklings, his love dies in a tragic death…Does it bring back memories? Mary? Or should I call you, Marie?"

Marie closed her eyes tightly and gripped her hands, ignoring the demon's words.

"But enough talk about this…let's now begin with our conversation. Come, take a seat."

Marie and Rosette looked at each other with worry and then took seat across from the controlled mother. Rizel's voice spoke again.

"Now, the reason why I brought you here is to discuss about your _wonderful_ brothers." When she said the word 'wonderful', she said it like it was the most disgusting thing in the world.

"Lord Joshua and Lord Peter…they sometimes can't stop from thinking about you two. And because of that, they can't eat, they can't sleep…all because of worry. From this it's causing more trouble for Lord Aion."

"And what do you expect us to do about this?" Rosette said soft and calm, unlike her. The mother smirked.

"Well, I _could_ give you an answer." She said as she lifted her left hand and snapped her fingers. Then all of the sudden,

_KABOOM!_

The two girls rushed their head back to the back of the train. They noticed that the back cars of the train were disconnected from the front. They gasped.

"Chrono and the others are on that part!" Rosette yelled out. The mother laughed behind them as well as the other people in the food car.

"There is no turning back now, Chrono won't be able to help at this point and so will the others…they are way far back." The hostage mother chuckled.

"You'll see about-" Marie said shortly till she noticed that her pocket watch was gone.

"What!?" She yelled in a panic. Then she looked at hostage mother again and saw her holding the pocket watch. She grinned while she looked at it.

"Oh lookie here, I have a new toy to play with…I wonder what will happen if I just threw it out the window now…"

"NO!" Marie yelled. The hostage laughed again.

"Then do as I say…You will come with me to see your worried-sick brothers again. That's if you sit silently all the way.

Rosette growled at the woman, and with no patience she just jumped on the hostage and led her onto the floor with a gun to her face.

"Give back Marie's watch now, and stop this train!" She yelled, but in return the woman's voice turned back to normal and pleaded,

"Please, Sister have mercy!"

"HAHAHA…" Rizel's voice appeared everywhere in the car now. "What are going to do now? Kill this poor innocent marionette in replacement of me? Is that your decision Sister Rosette?"

Rosette growled again as the hostage people repeated Rizel's words a second time. Then she felt hands on her face, and it was the mother that Rosette held down.

"What are you going to do, Rosette?" The mother said in Rizel's voice again. Rosette face turned blank as the woman's hands slid down her face.

Marie looked everywhere for an exit on this crazy train, but hostages now blocked the exits. She and Rosette are alone now, with no plans or options, with no other friends to help them…

What now?

Then in a flash, green light surrounded the space in the food car. The hostages yelled in pain and fainted on the ground. Rizel screamed as well from her hiding place.

"Damn it, a crucifix barrier!"

While Rosette gotten up from the floor, Marie looked everywhere to see who was doing this. Then there was a knock on a window behind her. And Marie froze in shock.

It was Chrono! With his weapon pack, and his left hand full of crucifixes, he grinned at the sight of Marie.

He opened the window and jumped inside.

"I knew you guys were lying. And plus I knew there was a certain demonic thing on the train before you guys wanted to handle this on your own. So I just played along, and before the explosion happened I was hiding on top of the train after I'd left."

"And the others?" Rosette asked.

"Satella and Azmaria are following behind by using jewel summoning. So, you have nothing to worry about, we're here to help." Chrono grinned again. Marie gave Chrono a hug, and digged her face in the hair of his braid.

"Thank you…Chrono." She whispered happily.

Chrono smiled, embraced her and then let her go. When he looked at her again, there was something missing from her, an important thing…

"Marie? Where's the pocket watch!?" Chrono freaked, as Marie looked to turn where the hostage mother has been sitting. But on the table of where she and they sat around, it was empty. And then look on the floor of where the main hostage she was controlling, but she held nothing.

"No…" She whispered. Then Rizel laughed, her voice again surrounding the car.

"HAHAhaha…if you wish to have the pocket watch…follow me to the next car…" She giggled afterward.

Marie, Chrono, and Rosette glared at the sound of her voice. Chrono grabbed a grip of Marie's hand.

"Let's go; me and Rosette will be by your side." He said softly. Marie nodded at his word and went toward to the entrance of the next car.


	28. Sacrifice

Chapter 28 Sacrifice

As the three exorcists entered the next car, it was emptied. And this car should be filled with many people. What could have happened…?

Chrono shadowed his face away from the two girls; he must have known what could have happened to the people that have been here.

"You're a sick demon…Rizel…" He mumbled to himself.

Then he felt something charging really fast ahead. It was headed for Rosette.

"Rosette! Watch out!" He tried to sprint to take Rosette's place, but the thing got Rosette just in time. It was a controlled hostage, a very big man.

"LET GO OF ME!!!" Rosette yelled as the man squeezed her in his muscular arms. Rosette tried to break free countless times but, it made her exhausted.

"ROSETTE!" Chrono screamed. Then he saw something above the huge man, it was a shiny sliver web holding Marie's pocket watch. He growled.

"Let's play a game now Chrono…" Rizel's voice appeared again. "You can get the pocket watch by doing what this man tells you…heheheheh." She laughed.

Chrono growled at the voice, showing his little demon fangs. But Rizel only laughed at him.

"You, stand here." The man told Chrono. He angrily went to stand in front of the hostage man. Then the hostage turned to Marie.

"And you…_shoot_ him."

Marie's eyes opened wide in shock, Rosette's as done the same as well. But Chrono continued to look angry.

"What are you waiting for!? Go ahead and shoot me!" He yelled at Marie. But she looked at him like she would never do such a terrible thing. Not to her best friend, her love…

"Marie…" Chrono said calmly now. "Shoot right here,"—He pointed to his chest—"and don't miss….the center."

Marie slowly pulled her gun in her pocket and aimed at the same spot Chrono told her to shoot. She look at his eyes one last time before she pulled the trigger. His eyes were scarlet like always, she always liked seeing his eyes full of joy and cheer, but now they were serious and yet full of trust.

Now, Chrono closed his eyes while Marie had done the same. She pulled the trigger and….

_BOOM!_

The bullet shot at Chrono and then flew backward by the force of the sacred. He rammed himself against the big hostage and made him fell over like a collapsing tree.

Marie thought fast of seeing the big man down, and now this might be her chance of getting her pocket watch back. She grabbed her small bottle of holy water in another one of her green storage pockets, and sprayed the water on the web holding the watch and onto the hostage man. So he could be no longer controlled.

Rizel screamed from above, and the web dissolved from the water and the watch fell to Marie's hands.

Rosette let herself loose from the fallen man's grip and then looked at Chrono.

He was badly wounded, and the sacred past through his back. And blood spurted through his crimson jacket, almost matching. But the worst part of it is, is that Chrono didn't move or twitch. He was out flat or he died in the process.

"No…" Marie said as he gotten close to him. She on urge of crying.

She quickly placed her hand on the wound she made and gold light spilled out of her hand and it completely healed. But the little demon didn't move or budge. Now, Marie started to cry.

Rosette looked at the messed up scene. Chrono just let himself die, like that!? He wouldn't…

"Ugh…" Chrono grunted. Then he moved. Marie face just lightened up, and saw the miracle in front of her. Chrono made a little grin while he sat up.

"You shred tears for me…for a little devil?" he said softly. Marie then glomped at Chrono and hugged him tight as she ever could, Rosette joined in too.

"You little idiot! You had me worried!" Rosette yelled out as she just turned her hug into a noogie on the head for Chrono. He yelled in pain and tried to cover his head.

"I'm sorry!!!" He yelled like a little child. Marie laughed and then gotten up from the ground and placed her golden-brown pocket watch around her neck, where it belongs.

"Ok," Rosette said as she helped Chrono off the ground while the little purple haired demon rubbed his head. "lets teach this Rizel, a little lesson called 'kicking her ass!'"

Marie agreed completely and looked at Chrono again. "As long if it doesn't involve hurting any of us."

Chrono nodded slowly in agreement.

"Ok," Rosette said. "To the next room!"

~~~* * *~~~

The three exorcises entered the next car with suspicions on their faces. The next car was a storage room filled with boxes, crates, etc. But mostly it was quiet. Rizel had to be here somewhere…

"Chrono, I got a question." Marie said.

"Yes?"

"What does this 'Rizel' look like? We have to know so we can find her."

"If you want to see me soo bad then _see _me!" Rizel angry voice boomed overhead. Then out of the ordinary, a crash was made at the top of the car and six sliver white threads came after Marie, and forced her up.

"AHHH!" Marie screamed.

"MARIE!" Chrono yelled.

As Marie flew up she crashed on top of the roof, still tangled in the white webs. She looked ahead to see the webs lead to, and there she was.

Rizel.

She wasn't a pretty sight to look at. Sure her head and body were great but she had four arms and then ugly fat legs on each corner of her body. Marie ignored the bottom and looked at the top instead. Rizel had long deep brown hair, and her skin was almost pale white, and her eyes were a dark orange.

"Hahahaha!" She laughed at Marie's sight. "Look what the itsy bitsy spider caught in its web."

Marie growled and tugged and struggled to get free but it was no use, her webs of hers were like thick ropes. Marie cussed under her breath.

Rizel laughed again. "Haha no use is there. You are trapped, and you have no other choice but to come with me. And I bet Lord Aion would be pleased."

"What about the others? Do you know they are below us?!"

"Don't worry, as of right now. My little _friends_ are probably invading the car you used to be in now, to take care of them. As long as I have you, there's no problem."

"Hey you said you're taking Rosette with you!" Marie yelled at the spider woman.

"You know what, I don't care. Rosette doesn't mean that much to Lord Aion anyways, Joshua can suffer without her…let her die with your demon sweetheart."

"YOU WITCH!" Marie yelled and with her strapped arms, she forced herself to get her gun and she shot some sacreds at Rizel while breaking the web that was tangling her. But as Marie looked ahead to see what happened, Rizel blocked the bullets with her four hands.

"Damn!" Marie shouted out.

Then Rizel laughed her annoying laugh again. "That was an attack?" Now Rizel shot countless sharp threads at Marie, ripping her white and purple uniform, cutting her skin, and some parts of her hair. After Rizel stopped she looked like a bloody, torn-up mess.

She grunted in pain, but at least she didn't give up. She stayed focused.

"Oh that's a good look for you, Magdalene. Ha! I bet Lord Aion would enjoy your look too as well." Rizel closed her eyes and held her head up proud.

"Would you shut up about that bastard!" Marie yelled. Rizel then and now look at Marie disgusted.

"All that he is, is a murderer, and a very sick person. And I bet he will care more about his plans other than look at your disgusting self! All that you want is for yourself to be noticed by him, but he will_ never_ notice you! _Never_!"

"Shut up!" Rizel commanded, but Marie continued.

"Don't you Sinners ever see is that Aion is using you? After his plans will succeed, he will throw you and the others out while he's in power! All that he will see in you is a tool to his destruction. Aion will never love you."

"SHUT UP YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Rizel screamed while her eyes were now blank white.

Marie wanted to continue with her argument but something went blurry with her mind. Now she saw a big metal light pole right by the rails of the train, and then saw herself shoot the rope that was in her gun shoot and tangle with the pole with the overhead light, and broke the rope and quickly tied it with Rizel's neck with the end. And last the spider demon was pulled away from the train and was hung from the high light pole.

Marie blinked and saw herself with Rizel still angry on the train.

What did she experience? A vision? Did her powers just arrive?

"Is this my future?" The brunette thought and then saw a light pole coming ahead. Now is her chance.

"You're mine! I'll kill you no matter how special you are!!!" Rizel screamed and was headed for her. Marie went back a little and when the pole got close to the train she shot the rope from her gun and it tangled with the overhead.

"RAAHH!" Rizel scream as she was about to grab Marie. But Marie jumped and landed behind Rizel before she ever got the chance. Then she unconnected the rope from her gun and quickly tied it behind Rizel on her neck, before the pole was out of sight.

Rizel quickly turned around and grabbed Marie's ankle with one of her four hands and yelled, "NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, YOU ARE COMING WITH ME!!!"

Now and then the rope started to do its thing and flung Rizel on the car of the train, and she dragged Marie with her. Her long nails dug deep in her skin to prevent from letting go of Marie.

"AGGGHHH!" Marie screamed in pain while Rizel dragged her off the train. But in the meantime in the air, Rizel suffocated and died like in Marie prediction. And since she died she lost her grip and let Marie go of her ankle. Now she was heading for the icy ground.

But before she screamed, something caught her. And it was no other than Chrono. He, Rosette, Azmaria, and Satella were now on Satella's icy blue crystal monster, which was flying right beside the train.

"You ok? Marie?" Chrono asked worriedly. Marie looked up at Chrono and smiled. She had become numb after all the cuts she received and other than that her vision became blurry. Chrono looked like nothing but a fuzzy picture.

"Thanks…Chr…" Then she was down unconscious.


	29. Home

Chapter 29 Home

Marie woke up cold in the late night. Wind was blowing all over her but yet something was covering her. It was red and as Marie's vision improved she saw she was wearing Chrono's jacket. And yet she felt something carrying her and flying in a normal speed. She looked and saw Chrono in his true form. Marie rashly looked down and saw her pocket watch unleashed. She didn't remember doing that.

"Morning." Chrono's deep voice said. Marie turned and saw Chrono looking at her friendly.

"What happened?" Marie wanted to rub her eyes but Chrono had a hard grip on her to manage to keep her warm.

"Well you killed the Sinner Rizel, which I couldn't believe you actually did by yourself. And we caught you flying in air and you went out unconscious. But while you were, I treated your wounds by using your first-aid in one of your green storage packs that you always carried. And I've given you my jacket so you won't be freezing out here in the cold."

"Thank you… and again. Why are you in your true self like that? And where are the others and most of all, where are we off to?" Marie asked worried. Chrono returned a grin.

"Well, Satella is helping Rosette and Azmaria to Michigan. And since they have no transportation Satella is helping them out by using her jewel monsters. And also we both have no transportation and I changed myself by unleashing your pocket watch and now we are headed off to the place of where we first met." His grin widened.

"I thought we first met by you saving me from Aion while the Sinners broke free?" Marie asked confused. Chrono chuckled.

"Well to me this is the first place we met." Then he started to purr.

Marie looked at Chrono weirdly. "Demons purr?"

"Only if they are really happy, like I am seeing you ok now." Chrono answered. Marie laughed as he purred more.

"Stop it Chrono, it tickles." She slowed her laugh to a giggle.

"You want me to stop being happy? You're my happiness, Marie."

Marie looked at Chrono confused. "Why do I make you happy? After all-"

"You've have always been my happiness Marie. You were the one who saved me from death many years ago, and I could never forget that. After when you died, I've always thought about you till I almost lost hope with me seeing you again. And here you are, in my arms. Alive. And I'll always protect you, and I'll never lose you again. I promise."

After the amethyst demon spoke he held Marie close to his chest, to his heart. And then he softly purred again.

Marie blushed. She never been this close to Chrono like this and made her feel warm inside. He deeply cared for her, a demon, who had darkness in their hearts. But Chrono's darkness was different. Instead of using his darkness for evil, he used it for protection of others, for good. Marie smiled and wanted to say something affectionate. But instead she drifted off to sleep while Chrono smiled while she did.

~~~* * *~~~

Hours flew by and Marie awoke again with something cold touching her nose. Marie was now leaning on Chrono's now small form. She saw his arms wrapping around her neck noticing his long white sleeved shirt that he'd always wore underneath his jacket. He huddled more close to her asleep, his instinct telling him that she moved a little away.

Now something cold again touched Marie on her cheek now. Marie looked around and saw big snow flakes dancing from the sky to the ground in a very familiar place.

She wanted to get up soo badly but not when Chrono's arms are chained around her, she could ask but she didn't really want to bother waking him. After all he's been carrying and flying her almost all night. Maybe it was best just to rest a bit more…

"Morning…again." A soft voice chuckled behind her. Marie turned and saw Chrono's grin smiling upon her.

"Oh sorry, did I wake you?" Marie asked worried. Chrono shook while still containing his smile.

"I was already awake." He said. Marie made a little glare.

"You could have slept more. You've been flying all night!"

"Actually when you fell asleep we've appeared here actually a few minutes. And I changed myself back and slept almost the same amount as you." He explained. Marie continued to look at him while snow drifts fell into his purple hair.

"Are you cold? You really need a jacket." Marie said as she was about to take off Chrono's jacket that he'd given her. But Chrono placed it back on her, refusing to have it.

"You need it more than I do. Plus, I can deal with cold temperatures. A demon's temperature are differ from a human's."

"Really?"

"How else did I keep you warm that quickly?" He chuckled then got up from sitting in the snow. He grabbed Marie's hand and helped her up.

"Are you excited? We are finally here. Hillsboro!" Chrono said peppy. The brunette made a little smile.

"But it's winter. Daisies don't come out till spring." She said disappointed. The purpled-haired demon made a frown at first but thought of something to cheer her up.

"Don't worry; this isn't our last trip here. As we finally get Aion and the other Sinners out of the way, you, me, and Peter can come together in spring/summer."

"Are you sure?" Marie asked. Chrono made a laugh.

"Duh! Of course! I do owe you a lot of favors don't I?"

"Demons with the favors…" Marie shook her head while smiling.

"Hey, you did a lot of stuff for me. Like I said, I'll feel guilty if I don't do anything in return."

"You say that but you really did give me things without you noticing a thing." Mare said when a smirk raised on her face. Chrono gave her a confused stare.

"Protection, kindness, you being there for me when I need it…And I'm sure there's other reasons why."

"Yes, I have given all of those things _but_ it doesn't repay after you saved my life during that year, and the other times you've helped me."

Marie sighed as Chrono wrapped an arm around her.

"Instead of continuing this, we should check out your daisy field. Sure it might be filled with snow but we can always fun out of it. Remember last time?"

Marie closed her eyes and thought the last time she was here. Snow was falling covering the whole plain like today and she and Chrono decided to have a little snowball fight. But as it gotten too late, she went home while bringing Chrono along with her. As they finally got there, she went to check on her mother, who was cold and motionless. Her mother died on that day. Yet it was also the day that Chrono had made a contract with Marie. And it was only because Marie had no family to run off to, no place to stay. He cared for her like a brother, but more than that.

"Thanks for making that contract for me, Chrono." Marie said softly. Then something else wondered in her mind. "Truly after we've met and I came to you the next day, I thought a little bit that you might _do_ something to me when you showed me your true form for example."

"You thought I was going to grab and take you off somewhere and decided to _kill_ you?" Chrono said surprised. "And I thought you said you weren't afraid of me when I'm like that?"

"I was like one percent afraid while the rest of me was ninety-nine none. I've always felt that way when I helped you out, and spending time with you. But as time passed, I've one hundred percent trust in you." Marie smiled. "You can say that I've wasn't scared at all."

"_Riiiiggghhht_." The little demon said spacious. "Next time I'm in my full form, I'll show you how to be scared of me." He chuckled a little. Then he'd grabbed Marie's hand.

"Let's go! Are we just going to continue talking? Or see your daisy field?!"

"I choose….talk." Marie laughed at her lie. Chrono laughed as well.

"Well I choose field, now here we go!" He dragged Marie nearby the apple tree where they always leaned on while they sat. Then they both looked down the hill they were on and saw a wide open space. Their field.

The brunette apostle charged at the field while the purple-haired demon followed behind. While she got there she slowly stepped in the deep snow, making soft dusty sounds while she stopped in the middle. Snow was still continuing to fall to the ground and yet falling on her hair and face. Though if the snow was everywhere, she could picture what the scenery looked like in spring.

"I'm home." She whispered to herself. Five seconds after she'd said it, she got rammed in the back of her head with a snowball. She fell on the snow, then turned her head and saw Chrono with a snowball in hand.

"Finally got you." He laughed again. Marie gotten up and brushed the snow off the red jacket Chrono let her wear and then bent down and grabbed some snow, rolled it in a ball and threw at Chrono's face. He dodged it but barely.

"Missed!" He playfully giggled. Marie fakily grumbled and grabbed some more snow, curved it, then threw it at Chrono once more. This time she hit him.

"Hey!" Chrono shouted as he threw another snowball at her. He'd missed this time.

"You got to try harder to get me this time! After all I had a lot of training." Marie did a fake evil laugh.

"Oh yeah?" Chrono began chasing Marie around the field. The first game they played when they have become friends.

"Does your training know how to escape the clutches of little purple-haired demon?!" Chrono joked while he ran to catch her.

"It depends," Marie inhaled deeply as she ran faster. Chrono was getting closer. "if the purple-haired demon wants to hurt me!"

"Hmmm hurt you, you say?" Chrono chuckled as he got more closer to Marie. "It should be your punishment by beating me in your little games of yours!"

The little devil pounced on the running apostle making the two of them fall in the snow near the edge of the field and also making them roll down to the road. They were all covered in cold white dust.

"Hmmm what will your punishment be? Little missy?" Chrono questioned and thought at once.

"Anything that doesn't involve pain!?" Marie fakily panicked.

"Ha! I have found your punishment!" His hands went under Marie's arms and tickled them.

"It's my monstrous tickle attack!" He made an evil laugh as well.

"AHAAAAHAAAHAAAA! STOP MAKE IT STOP!" Marie pleaded for mercy. Chrono stopped when she'd had enough, her breathing slowing down.

Chrono made a smile at her while he begins to stand up, while helping Marie in the process.

"I think we should go into town and look and ask people that they have seen your brother."

Marie made a sad face while she looked back at the snowy field. Chrono grabbed a hold of one of her hands.

"I promise we will be back by dark." He winked.

Marie did a short giggle then started to walk along with Chrono into the now-bigger town of Hillsboro, and she wondered along the way if her older brother is there or not. It's just something that the two of them have to find out.


	30. Surprises

Chapter 30 Surprises

Marie started to sob after she asked the last person in town about her lost brother, she even tried to check her old home of where she lived but other family moved and lived in there now. Chrono tried all that he can too. He grabbed Marie's hand once more, to comfort her.

"I'm sorry, Marie. Maybe he's somewhere else; he could be in the town you were born in."

"Chicago?"

"Yes, after Rosette and the others are done with their own missions I could call them and instead of meeting back in New York, Chicago will be our next destination."

"And what if we can't find him?" Marie worried. "What if Aion hid him somewhere else? Like Boston? Denver? He could be doing this to hurt me more inside if I can't find him! Or what if he killed him!? Or he's not even brought back to life!?" Marie cried as she worried herself to pieces. Chrono gripped her hand tightly.

"I promise you we'll find him Marie, and I also promise Aion will die when I'll get through with him." His eyes went red for sec then turned back to normal.

"Where are we supposed to sleep?" Marie asked. Chrono face saddened a little.

"I guess back at your field, but by the tree this time. I've gotten a little cold when the winter air was blowing on my back." He said embarrassed.

Marie giggled. "Ok, I'm fine by that."

By the time they reached back at the field, they went up the hill where the tree was at and Chrono sat and leaned against it. Marie went and sat by him. Just right after she sat, a gust of air blew against her, making her shiver while still wearing Chrono's red jacket.

"Want me to do the same as last night?" Chrono asked and thought what could make her warmer.

"Wait, let me have my jacket back, Marie, and get close to me."

"Um sure?" she took off his jacket and gave it to him, and then she crawled over close to Chrono like last time.

Chrono then took his jacket and covered the both of them. He gave the ends to Marie and let her hold on so the coldness won't seep in.

Now she was warm. And what made her warmer when Chrono wrapped his two arms around her and also helped her holding the ends.

"Sorry if this is too trapped or close to you." Chrono's head was on the right side of Marie. She blushed a little. "Its fine, all what matters is that we're warm."

"Yeah." Chrono agreed. After a few minutes getting comfortable, Chrono saw a slivery glow fly pass quickly in the sky. Marie saw a glimpse of it before it disappeared.

"A shooting star." Chrono said and made a smile on his face. Marie smiled as well.

"You know, this reminds me back then when I was little and all of my family was still living in Chicago. Me and my brother Peter always lay on his bed every night to talk about things, before it was off to bed with me. On one night, we both saw a shooting star on a very crystal clear night outside his window. And this was our first time seeing one. Then and there, my brother made a wish for us. He said, 'No matter if we're a brother or sister, or if we have a different age, we're best friends and I'll be with you till our time ends'."

There was silence. Marie closed her eyes and then opened them barely. Her smile was no more than a frown now.

"He said that but that wish never came true. Instead he got killed by a murderous demon only because of no reason…" Marie growled. "I somewhat don't believe in wishes or shooting stars anymore, even if they do remind me of my brother. All what wishes are is hope, and no matter all much you do so, it will just reject you after all the effort you have given to it."

Chrono did a sad sigh and thought of words that might fit well of Marie's own explanation. Like her, he closed his eyes and opened them again.

"You know, hope is one of the seven virtues. What about your hope you seeing your older brother alive? Or Rosette's and the other's hope seeing their siblings alive and well. It's not entirely a bad thing…"

Marie sighed. "Yeah, you're right in a way."

"Or else maybe because hope is not your strength, faith is….Sometimes I wish I could escape my strength, if it's true."

"What do you mean?" Marie looked toward him.

"Along with the seven virtues, there are also the seven sins. At the time I was with Mary, Aion called me the sin of lust. Because I always end up falling for another girl. He was disgusted when he'd said that to me that evening."

Marie turned towards the dark sky and thought again. Since she heard soo much about Mary Magdalene, she wanted to hear Chrono's story soo impatiently. Why did Mary have those powers like she had? Why did Chrono fell in love with her?

"Thinking about me telling you the story?" Chrono chuckled as he leaned close to Marie's face again.

"I tell it soon enough, like I promised." He winked. "Now let's head off to sleep, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Alright."

Minutes have passed by and Marie begun to sleep. Her breathing was slow and normal while she slept. Instead of sleeping himself, Chrono watched Marie sleep. He gently laid his right hand over one of her hands that were holding the two ends of the jacket, and rubbed her fingers softly. While so, he thought about the shooting star that had passed earlier and then leaned over to Marie's ear, and whispered, "Even if you don't believe in wishes, I have one for you. I wish for my happiness to stay happy, and live a long happy life."

Then he leaned over to Marie's cheek slowly to give her a short kiss, but a terrible sense ran through him before he'd ever got the chance. Again he knew this presence. It was evil but it wasn't Aion's evil, it had to be one of his allies, it must be one of the Sinners.

"Ugh, why do they always come at the most peaceful moment?" Chrono growled. Meanwhile a big blade slid fast down to the angel and demon, Chrono grabbed a hold of Marie and dodged and jumped one meter away. Marie awoke while the little demon landed.

"Chrono? What's wrong!?" She asked worriedly. Instead of a reply, he placed his jacket back on her and then they stared at the mysterious demon that standed where they were sitting. He wore almost all white like Aion did, but the only difference is that he wore a black helmet that covered his eyes and most of his short white hair, and he had a huge blade on his arm.

"Genai…" Chrono growled.

"Another Sinner?" Marie questioned.

"Yes, and he's a rank right below Nate, the forth strongest demon in the group."

"Who are you calling _fourth_!?" Genai roughly said. "You and Nate left the Sinners; I should be ranked number two next to Aion!"

Chrono growled again, he didn't want to deal with this now.

"Anyways, I'm here to kill you and to kidnap Mary. Since the last mission didn't work with Rizel…" He growled and whimpered as he said her name. "…You're lucky that I not going to behead you. If you weren't one of those annoying apostles I most definitely would."

Genai looked at Marie with total hatred. Was Rizel his girlfriend?

"_I've had enough._" Chrono said by using his true demon voice. "Marie, change me and hide. I'm going to end this in a matter of seconds…"

She nodded and unleashed the seal on her pocket watch, then ran off to the nearby woods next to them while Chrono fully changed.

"I've wanted to fight you all these years Chrono! You're going to be surprised if you get your ass beaten!" Genai said preparing his blade.

"Just to tell you Genai, I've beaten stronger demons than the likes of you." Chrono's two arms had made two blades. "After all you guys did call me, 'The Killer of a Hundred Million'."

Chrono dashed like a cheetah towards Genai, and made two wounds on his chest from his blades. Genai grunted.

"Damn you, CHRONO!"

Then the whole fight was now in mid-air. As their blades crashed together while flying in speeds, they looked like two fireworks having a feud with each other. It was almost like the last battle when Chrono was fighting against Semaj, only this battle was harsher.

Marie watched the fight from her hiding place, hoping nothing goes wrong. She then grabbed her pocket watch and stared at it. Of course it was released, but she didn't know before is the sparkles and shocks of astral energy glowing from inside the watch. She could see the gears work inside as it produced the astral energy for Chrono from her soul. She then turned her attention from that and then looked at the watch's face. There, the face was glowing multicolors and what she did notice before was that the hands were moving slow. Even _slower_ than an average clock. This showed her that her life was barely lost, even after all the times she released the seal.

"My powers…my _soul_ is what's causing this." Marie whispered, referring to the watch's hands.

"Do I have that _big_, that _strong_ of a soul?"

"AGGGGAHHH!" A loud yelp scared Marie. She flinched and stared back at the fight.

Genai's blade slashed Chrono's chest and he was rammed right back on the hill. Genai rashly landed by him and opened his blade up, like a pair of scissors and digged the two ends in the ground by the edges of Chrono's neck. He couldn't escape.

"Your end has come, Chrono!" Genai smirked. "Aion's going to be very pleased when he hears that you've died, you worthless demon."

All what Chrono did is growl at Genai, even his amber eyes flared.

Genai turned his other into a very sharp blade and aimed it at his chest. But before Genai striked at him, a blurry vision came to Marie's mind again. It was another prediction. It showed Marie herself quickly grabbing her secret gun in one of her green storage pockets and hid it behind her back as she dashed half a meter from Genai. She said a couple of words and then Genai un-digged the scissor blade from the outsides of Chrono's neck and walked to her. Chrono made cries for her to stop but she ignored. As Genai gotton close enough, she revealed her gun and shot the bullet that was already loaded in, the Gospel. She shot it, and her prediction ended there.

Marie shook her head as her normal vision had came back and then she did what she did in her prediction. She got out her gun in her storage bags on her waist, held it behind her back loaded, and then dashed for the scene. Genai quickly made his other blade go towards Chrono now.

"STOP! STOP PLEASE!" Marie cried out. The blade stopped its motion and Genai now looked at her.

"Please! I will go with you, if only you leave Chrono alone!" She made a fake promise.

"MARIE! NO! DON'T DO THIS!" Chrono cried out, like in Marie's prediction. Genai smirked again and released his scissor blade from the both sides of Chrono's neck. His two arm blades disappeared as he walked towards her. He now had normal arms.

"Good girl." His smirk grew wider. "Aion will be soo happy to see you, Magdalene."

Marie frowned when he called her that, but she couldn't help but smirking. Genai gotten as close as he had, and he even grew curious.

"What's with the smirk? Girly?" he even giggled. "Are you that excited of me taking you away from your love?"

Marie then giggled as well. "Nope, I'm smirking cause…"

Marie then pulled her gun from behind her back and shot the Gospel at Genai's center. A big white holy explosion occurred and Genai was now screaming at the sudden pain.

"…of this." Marie had finished.

"DAMMIT! YOU LIED TO ME!" He screamed while his body was disappearing. Then the final explosion occurred, and white glowing feathers were everywhere from the Gospel.

Chrono struggled as he'd gotten up and looked at Marie surprisingly. She had just killed two Sinners…on her own.

"Marie? How did you-ugh!" He held his wound on his chest and crouched on the ground. Marie ran to him. He was terribly in pain.

"Chrono…"

"Hey is somebody out here!?" A random person said entering the daisy field, along with other townspeople. Marie looked and saw they were getting closer to the middle of the field and to them importantly.

"Chrono, the townspeople, they're-" Before Marie ever got to finish her sentence; Chrono just grabbed her and dashed like a glowing gold comet into the sky. The townspeople saw and screamed, "A demon!?" "What's it doing here!?" "Look, it has a hostage!" But Marie couldn't hear anymore as Chrono flew farther away.

**AN: Buhahahaha I'm sooo evil with the cliff hangers arn't I?! XD Well I hoped you enjoyed it ^^**


	31. Revealing

Chapter 31 Revealing

"Ugh!" Chrono grunted in pain while he flew. His injury on his chest bleed on his jacket Marie was wearing. Marie worriedly looked at Chrono, seeing his face scrunched while he flew in this condition.

"Chrono you're going to hurt yourself more if you continue to do this!" Marie explained.

"No, we're still close to town. I need to keep you-ugh!" He grunted again, but as he did he just fell to the ground. He covered Marie close to him and even covered her in his big dark maroon wings so Marie wouldn't get hurt from the fall.

He fell on his right side to the grassy ground with another grunt, and unleashed Marie from his arms.

She gotton up and looked at herself. Chrono's jacket of which she wore had big blood stains but they were hardly noticeable because the jacket was of course, red. But some of his blood seeped through the jacket and stained Marie's mostly white and purple Magdalene uniform. She had no new wounds except the ones Rizel has given to her on the train ride of horror, which were covered by bandages.

Chrono struggled to get up again and Marie rashly went close to him.

"Please stop getting up; you'll only hurt yourself more. Here." Marie had placed her hand on his bloody wound on his chest and her hand glowed a brilliant gold light as it healed the deep injury. As she was done, Chrono continued to look at her amazed.

"Thank you." He said kindly.

"No problem." She'd give a half a smile to him, and then she looked back. Chrono was right; they were close to her town. He'd had only flew a few miles away.

"Marie?" Chrono interrupted her from her gaze. She turned to him.

"Not to be rude and all, but can you close the seal? It kinda worries me if I stay like this for long when your life is running out."

"Uh sure?" She said confused.

"Does he know that my soul is huge?" she thought after.

Marie touched the top of her pocket watch to close the seal, but unlikely the seal didn't shut. It was stuck.

"Er…Chrono?"

"Hmm?"

"The seal won't shut."

"The seal won't shut?" Chrono repeated her words in a question. "Let me see it."

Marie got the watch off of her neck and gave it to Chrono. He'd gave all of his demon strength to try to close the top but it wouldn't budge.

"Great…" Chrono said ticked. "I guess we have to go to New York again before our next destination. Elder might help, I guess." He had given the watch back to his contractor.

Marie placed the watch around her neck again, and thought worriedly. Chrono had to spend the night like this? His true form out of all forms? Marie even blushed when she looked at him fully. It was just too much for her to bear.

But before Marie thought of anything else, Chrono had darkness swirling around him for a little bit and realved another form of himself. He looked almost the same in his small form but he's in a teen view. And he looked three years older than her. Yet again, he was wearing the long white shirt and his half black/gold gloves, the red shorts, etc. again. But the only difference is that his hair was shorter, like in his true self.

Marie just stared at him, amazed. Chrono looked at her and chuckled.

"Yeah, I kinda use this form a lot when I was with the Sinners, just in case a sudden battle might come up I could quickly change in my real form in a matter of seconds."

Marie continued to stare. Chrono chuckled once more and then placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I think we should try to fall asleep again."

~~~* * *~~~

Chrono did the same technique as last time. He sat down while Marie laid close, it was strange now because Chrono's body was bigger and it covered Marie a lot from the winter wind.

Chrono was barely sitting his head on top of Marie's. She could hear his breathing inhaling and out in a gentle pattern, making Marie go again into a deep slumber, but she awakened fast when Chrono spoke.

"There's something I've wanted to ask you." Chrono said. "How did you know how to kill Rizel and Genai? It's like you know their weak spots and you kill them at the place where they hurt the most. How did-"

"I have more powers, Chrono." Marie just blurted out. Chrono just looked at her in shock.

"I can see the future now. When I battled Rizel for the first time, I saw a vision in my head and it had showed me how to kill her. I followed my own vision and it came true. The same thing happened to Genai too. But the weird thing is, it only happens to me whenever you and I are in trouble, then the vision appears."

"But why!? Why didn't you told me this before!?" Chrono asked rashly. Marie saddened.

"Because…I thought it was going to bring painful memories for you. Remington told me that Magdalene had powers to see the future as well, and-"

"It's not going to bring me painful memories, Marie. Now that I know, I know that I have to keep you closer to me. Very close. Aion probably knows that you've killed two of his allies and he might appear before our eyes the next time. He'll stop at nothing to get the grand apostle, nothing…"

"What is he planning?" Marie asked quietly. "What is his plan with all seven people like me and Azmaria?"

"…I have only heard little of his plans, Marie…but what I think, I think he's planning to make another apocalypse. Just like the time when Aion burned your town and killed you, or when Rosette's brother was placed with my horns and was taken away. But instead of those things that he has done to you and the rest of us, I bet he trying to this to the world, making it his own warped, sickening vision."

"W-What?!" Marie said nervously. "I won't let him do this! I REFUSE!"

After Marie spoke, it took Chrono awhile to answer.

"Same here, Marie...I'll keep you close to me and I'll be by your side. I won't lose you a second time…I won't lose you…" He dug his face in Marie's brown hair and smelt her scent.

"If I still had my horns, I'll freeze this moment," Then he'd wrapped two of his arms around Marie in a comfortable embrace. "even if it won't last long…" He rubbed his face on the brown strands.

Marie blushed to the max. Chrono had never been this affectionate to her, ever. How did this discussion about Aion lead up to this? Then and now, Chrono purred again, telling Marie that he was happy. He kissed in Marie's hair and lowered his head to her ear.

"You can go to sleep now, Marie…" He said in the softest way she ever heard him this way. Then he'd raised his head up again.

Marie continued to blush but she had to relax to fall asleep again. Chrono then purred more, making Marie feel that she was in an embracing massage chair.

It took her awhile but she was worried if she'll ever get to see her brother alive, and hoped that her friends had found their own brothers and sisters. Then and there something slivered past the night sky again, another shooting star. Instead of frowning at the moment, she smiled.

"Maybe it's a sign…" Marie whispered.

"Hmm?" Chrono said drowsy, he was on the urge of falling asleep. "What's a sign, Marie?"

"I saw another shooting star while I was thinking about my brother. Maybe its God's sign of telling me he's alive and I believe it."

~~~* * *~~~

The next morning, Marie woke up in an un-familiar place. She was now sleeping in a bed of cloths on a wooden floor of an abandon building and she could hear the soft crowds of people talking outside. She then got up and looked around the shack. Paint was chipping of the wood walls, cob webs in corners of the room, and last she saw a little table at the edge of the room with two chairs. She looked around again and saw no sign of Chrono anywhere. Did somebody just found her sleeping with a protective demon and took her back safe in the town? No, Chrono wouldn't have token off his guard unless he was flat-down tired. The door creaked opened, Marie flinched and turned back and saw Chrono in his normal 13-year old form. He was carrying some clothing and his jacket in one arm and a wooden basket on the other.

"Hello." Chrono blushed, closed his eyes and grinned. Marie then touched her pocket watch and the seal was surprisingly closed.

"Oh, if you're surprised by that, I fixed it last night." Chrono said still grinning.

"Would you mind telling me everything?" Marie said confused. Chrono laughed.

"Well, I figured that the mob in the town would have given up searching last night and I flew you and took you back to your field. While I did I carefully tried to close the seal while you were sleeping, and by the first try it closed. Next, you were shivering and no matter how I kept close to you, you won't stop soo I snuck into town and found a very old shack close to the town and brought you here. And in here, there were many blankets and cloths soo I made them cover the ground soo you can sleep on them."

"Then what's with the clothes and the basket?" Marie pointed at the things in Chrono's arms. He softly chuckled.

"Oh yeah, at the brake of dawn I went to some stores that were open here and bought a dress for you to wear, and some breakfast. And I also went somewhere to clean my jacket from the blood. But you can wear it again, if it's nippy again."

"Chrono, you didn't have to buy me new a dress." Marie said with guilt on her face.

"Yeah but your uniform is torn from your fight with Rizel, and you have blood stains dripped on it from you and me." He'd given Marie her new clothes. Marie un-folded the dress and saw it was a long sleeved one. At the top it was dark brown, but as it went down it was light tan and it had black lace at the end. Plus, there was black lace at the end of the sleeves.

"This looks expensive." Marie sighed. "You must have bought most of our emergency money!"

"Actually, it was on sale. And don't worry; we still have money."

"You sure?" Marie gave a curious stare.

"Yes, would I lie to you about that!?" Chrono said as he started to pout. "I thought you trust me!"

"I do!"

Chrono smiled and shook his head. "Ok I believe you; I'll be waiting outside soo you'll get dressed."

"Fine." Marie mumbled as Chrono went out and closed the creaky wooden door.

As Marie was stepping out of her torn-up uniform, she thought how strange the journey has started. Her true power awakened, killing two Sinners with that power, Chrono being more protective and affectionate than ever. She touched her daisy diamond necklace on her neck before even putting the dress on, feeling the texture as the crystals lined around her neck and then she trailed down to the pocket watch. Feeling the soft ticks it made. She gave a good look at the dress again, and shook her head.

"You really must love me…do you?" Marie questioned out loud. Then she put on the dress and buttoned them on her back. She saw something shiny and broken on the table nearby her and as she went close, it was a little piece of broken glass. She carefully grabbed it and as she looked in it to see her reflection, she thought she saw another person. She had long blond hair and icy blue eyes, posed as her. But as Marie blinked she was gone.

"Who was that?" She nervously gripped the piece of glass.

"Ahh!" She got cut in the grip. She dropped the piece and looked and saw a little cut on her hand dripping with blood.

"Marie!?" Chrono barged in and didn't care if she was ready or not. Then he looked at her and then gazed at her hand which was dripping red rust-smelling liquid onto the floor.

Chrono then grabbed a piece of cloth off the floor that he used for Marie to rest, ripped a piece and then wrapped it around her injured hand.

"You look beautiful, by the way." He said serious, with a little blush on his face. Marie looked at him wide-eyed. Is this the time to be affectionate when you're on a mission to help find a lost big brother?

After he was finished, he then grabbed Marie's hand and dashed with their breakfast and his jacket with his other hand, out to the door.

"We're going to eat our breakfast in your field," Chrono grinned as he walked into town. "And there's something there that'll surprise you."

"Surprise?" Marie thought. As they walked fast by the people in town, they all had smiles on their faces while they passed through.

"They're soo cute." She heard one woman say, and she blushed in an instant.

"We have no time for romance in a time like this!" Marie screamed in her mind. "Chrono, at least be in zone after we kill Aion, and save my big bro!" She thought as she turned angrily at the little purple-head demon.

"Ok, go look for your surprise first." Chrono said as they finally reached the field.

It wasn't filled with snow as last time, this time the snow melted a little and because some pieces of ground where shown. It's was strange how the weather changed to winter to almost spring weather.

"You'll never know the weather in Missouri." Marie shrugged and looked by the edge of the field. Nothing.

"Er, I doubt if I find anything in this wet, frosty mess." Chrono did a short laugh.

"You'll find it if you go _in_ it." He said. Marie gave him a weird stare.

"Don't worry; I'll follow you."

Marie raised her brown lacy dress and stepped her foot into the snow, it crunched while she continued to walk till she reached the bare ground towards the middle of the field.

She searched and searched till she found a little something white sprouting from the brown soil. She stepped closer, curious. In the meantime, Chrono was grinning again behind her. As Marie gotten close as she could get, she gasped in surprise.

It was a little daisy that had sprouted early. It was really lucky that the little flower didn't die from the frost.

"While I was carrying you into town, I saw it and couldn't wait for you to find it for yourself." Chrono said, walking right next to Marie.

"It's called the 'happy flower', right?" Chrono said what he remembered from back then when Marie had given a nickname to the little white flowers. He picked the little flower off the cool ground, and then placed it in Marie's short brown hair and made his special smile.

**AN: Sorry that I have not been updating on my other fic, but to tell you the truth, I kinda want to get this one done and over with! I even had an idea for another Chrono Crusade fanfic and typing my own idea for a story but, I can't type all 4 at once -.-' That'll be impossible...but I can't get the new ideas to stop squirming around in my head! **

**lol, yeah...Well I hope you liked this chapter ^^'**


	32. Chicago

**AN: Whoot! I had a snow day today ^.^ I love snow!**

**Here's chapter 32!**

Chapter 32 Chicago

"So, she'd killed Genai as well." Aion said as he sat in the living room in their home with a pitch of anger in his voice. Fiore looked at Aion with pity as she'd told him the news.

"If you want Lord Aion, I could retrieve the one of faith." Fiore said quietly. "She could not harm a person as I."

"Its fine, Fiore." Aion said as he raised his hand out, to stop her discussion. "She'll rather come here on her own."

Rachel came out in the kitchen and served Aion a cup of tea.

"Thank you my dear Rachel." Aion said with that tone that he'd used back then while they've fought. Rachel just smiled back and returned to the kitchen, having no thoughts that Aion had treated her like that awhile back. After all, she was brainwashed just like the other sibs.

"But what will happen if she'll retrieve Lord Peter and will try to harm you like Rizel and Genai?" Fiore continued the discussion in a soft worried tone. Aion only laughed.

"Haha…don't worry, Fiore. I have things _all_ figured out…"

~~~* * *~~~

"Marie…Marie wake up." She heard Chrono's gentle voice. Marie rose from her place in the long wavy grass. But she turned she was lying on Chrono's jacket, to keep her dress from not getting dirtied from the ground. She sighed as she stood up and gave the jacket back to Chrono.

"Had a nice nap?" He'd asked. Marie gave a short smile.

"How on Earth would I fall asleep during the middle of the day? Is it because you flying me everywhere makes me feel drowsy?"

"Nah, it's probably you didn't get enough sleep last night, even though I've kept you warm most of the time when we left the town."

Marie pictured Chrono in his teen form again. She blushed and shook her head from the thought.

"That night was probably one of those nights that'll stay in my head, forever. Ugh, hate the fact that a demon cuddling you, makes you feel uncomfortable and yet comfortable." Marie thought.

"Anything wrong, Marie?" Chrono asked. Marie turned still with a blush on her face. Her daisy from her hair was about to fall out.

"What's with you all of the sudden?" Chrono chuckled as he went to fix the daisy in her hair. "It looks like you saw something very abnormal."

"Uhhhhh…" Marie couldn't find an answer. When Chrono was done, he gave her one of his smiles again.

"Guess where we're at now?" He asked.

"I dunno looks like we're in a sea full of long grass." She guessed.

"Nope, follow me!" Chrono said dashing off like a kid who had a bunch of sugar in their system. Marie followed behind and as Chrono stopped, she then saw a beautiful view of a city right on top of the hill they were standing.

"Wait, we're here!? Already!?" Marie said with shock.

"Yeah, it's amazing what a demon's wings could do." Chrono chuckled. "We're here, Marie. Chicago."

"My God…" Marie whispered. The last time she seen Chicago, it was barely half of the city.

"1850 going on 1925…" Marie spoke again, still in shock. Chrono grabbed her hand and tightened it to a soft grip.

"Well sorry to interrupt your gazing Marie, but its going be even more shocking once we go _in_ the city. Not to mention I still need to call everyone to see how there doing and tell them to come here next."

"Oh, ok." Marie turned her direction towards him. Chrono did his usual smile at her and started to walk down the hill towards the Windy City.

~~~* * *~~~

As Marie and Chrono first entered the city, they both felt like they were suddenly transported back to New York City again. But the only difference is, is that this city was smaller and it wasn't on an island.

Marie remembered living here. It was her birthplace after all. She still remembered her grey house that she, her brother, and her parents had lived in. She wanted to ask Chrono to help her search for it, but they have to find the Chicago Branch here, in order for Chrono to call the others and a place to stay. Along the way, Chrono bought hot dogs for Marie and himself to munch on as they continued to search for the Magdalene Order buildings.

"Do you think Peter is in this town?" Marie asked Chrono. "I wonder if he's living in the place that we've used to live."

"He might." Chrono said after he took the last bite of his hot dog. "Just to make sure; we can go to your old home tomorrow."

"Thank you, Chrono." Marie smiled with hope now. Her brother had to be here, she can feel it.

"Well, looks like we're here." Chrono stopped suddenly. They both were beyond a strong sliver gate, on top of it was a carved Magdalene Order sign made from steel. The two gates were held by stone pillars and there was an intercom with a red button on the side. Chrono went and pressed it.

"This is the Magdalene Order. Please tell us your name(s) and reason." The intercom spoke.

"We are Sister Marie and assistant Chrono from the New York Branch; we've came for a place to stay from our long mission." Chrono spoke.

"Proceed, Magdalene exorcists." Then the steel gates opened and both Marie and Chrono stepped inside the courtyard. Behind them the gates closed automatically.

Marie looked around and saw that the Magdalene buildings here in Chicago were much more elegant than New York's. The buildings were covered in flowery vines and the windows were all stained glass, and there was even a beautiful fountain with a statue in the middle of pathway to the main Magdalene building. It was a woman. She wore a beautiful dress, and she her long hair tied with two big ribbons on the back. She held a bouquet of lilies on her right arm, and held a bird on her left hand. She was smiling.

Marie recognized the girl from before. She was the one who appeared in the reflection on the glass. Who was she?

"Magdalene." Marie heard Chrono whisper. He was walking toward the huge fountain and stared at the life size statue of her.

"Wait a sec?!" Marie rushed to Chrono and stared at him. "Is that the same Magdalene that you had a relationship with back then?" Chrono turned to her and made a nod.

"Yes, she was the Holy Saint Magdalene; The one who can see the future and knew all sorts of events from throughout the world. For her to hold all of those events she barely had any room for her own memories." Chrono told her the exact details Remington did.

Marie's face lowered then rose as she looked to stare at the statue.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "You've should of have more room for your memories. They are the only things that you can cherish."

"Thank you, Marie. I'm glad that you didn't have to suffer that, like I did." The woman voice appeared in her head. Marie flinched.

Chrono turned. "What happened?" but Marie replied by letting out a nervous laugh.

"You worry me sometimes, Marie. Is there something bothering you lately?"

"Yes my powers, you becoming soo affectionate, and the woman voice…" Marie thought a list of things in her head. But a man appeared before her and Chrono, interrupting her thoughts.

"So if it's Sister Marie and Chrono." The man smiled as he placed his hands in his heavy coat pockets. He had short dark brown hair, and he looked like he's in his thirties.

"Sister Kate told me a lot about you two on the phone. She told me that you two are best working militia exorcists in New York." The man proudly said.

"What? Was she serious?" Marie asked curious. She thought of Rosette being the hardest worker, but she did make buildings collapse and other messy things.

"Yes. And to me it's pretty unique, an angel and a demon working together. Never would have thought…"

Marie looked at herself, thinking she was really that strong. Chrono on the other hand, was waiting patiently for the man to introduce himself so they can get a room and call everyone.

"My name is Father Gilliam by the way, and welcome to the Chicago Branch. It may be different than the New York Branch, but its way more fancy and organized." Marie made a little giggle.

"I guess that Sister Kate is a Plain Jane." She said. The Father laughed along with her.

"Yeah, that really is her title. So, are you ready for your own home to stay in?"

"A home? To ourselves?" Marie asked confused.

"Yes." Father Gilliam smiled. "All of our exorcists sleep in our little homes by the main building. Let me guess, Sister Kate doesn't have those, does she?"

"We mostly sleep in a big building right beside the main building." Chrono said. "It gets more crowded when more people join in. Sister Kate would make another building, only if Rosette stops damaging everything." He mumbled the last part.

"Alright, everybody ready? Is it going to be just you two or-"

"I think that some of our friends are going to be coming here." Chrono interrupted his question. And Gilliam replied with a nod. He led them to very small houses, but as they continued walking the homes grew bigger in size. Gilliam stopped on the biggest one.

"For you guys being special exorcists." He winked as he opened the door. The inside was amazing! There was a living room, kitchen, four bedrooms with two beds each, and two bathrooms. All the windows in the house were stained glass, making the room look colorful and there was a big radio in the living room to listen to music. There were soo much, it couldn't all be described.

"Thank you soo much, Father Gilliam!" Marie shoke his hand with happiness. "How ever could we repay you?"

"Just by doing your job." He winked again then left the house and closed the door. Marie continued to look everywhere.

"Well, I'm going to call Rosette and the Element Sisters." Chrono announced as he went towards the kitchen. Marie mumbled an 'Okay' and went to search for the room she wanted to stay in.

Chrono dialed the number on Rosette's portable phone on her weapon pack. It rung three times and Rosette answered.

"Hello?" Rosette said with a sad voice.

"Hey Rosette, what's wrong?" Chrono asked, knowing why.

"Joshua isn't here. We looked around the orphanage and the nearby town two times, and no sign of him."

"I'm sorry." Chrono felt guilty. Then all of the sudden Rosette groaned angrily.

"Hey what did I say to you?! All of this wasn't your fault! It was Aion's."

Chrono didn't reply back and because of the awkward silence, Rosette sighed and changed the subject.

"So, did Marie have any luck finding her bro?"

"No, we looked all over Hillsboro yesterday and there was no sign. But now we are planning to check if he's here. We are in Chicago now."

"Chicago?!" Rosette spaciously asked on the other line. "Why on Earth, Chicago?!"

"Because it's Marie's birthplace. And if her brother is here, maybe Joshua and the other sibs might be here as well. Would you mind coming here next, Rosette?"

"Heck yeah, I'm going to search everywhere to try to find my Joshua! I SWEAR IT!"

"Ow…Rosette…" Chrono brought the phone away from his ear, then back again.

"Heheh…sorry Chrono." Rosette sounded embarrassed. In the background, Chrono heard Satella saying "Hey are you talking to Chrono? I wanna talk to him!"

"I better hang up." Rosette fakily laughed. "Bye!" Then she hung up.

Chrono made a grin and then started to dial Ellie's number now. She answered after the first ring.

"Thank you! I'm dying of boredom!" Ellie said depressed. Chrono couldn't help but laugh.

"Haha…Hey Ellie, what's up with you?"

"Hey Chrono, doing fine. We reached San Fran yesterday and well…didn't find Rach."

"I'm soo sorry." Chrono said softly. Ellie just made a laugh.

"It's fine. I doubt that Rachel would be in a dump like this. I mean, our mansion has been torn for almost four years now. I wouldn't be hanging around there. And Nate keeps digging through piles of debris to make sure my sister isn't hiding somewhere, and he's still doing it."

Chrono laughed again. "I guess you have a demon guardian looking after you, Ellie."

"Psst! Yeah right! Like demons can be guardians…Oh! Sorry! I forgot I'm talking to a demon here! I'm soo stupid for having my mind in the gutter!"

"It's Jake! I'm not insulted."

"Thanks…So how are things with you and Marie?" Ellie asked. Chrono made a sigh.

"We didn't have any luck either." And there was silence again.

"Aww sorry to hear about that. Are you still in Hillsboro?"

"Nope, we've flew to Chicago today."

"Chicago?" Ellie said it exactly like Rosette.

"Yeah, and Rosette and the others are coming over here next to search. You might be able to find Rach here if you come; I have a feeling that this place might be the place."

"Yeah, we'll come. But do you think we will reach the city faster by using our birds or take the train?"

"Well, anything that can take you here faster. But if you use the birds, wouldn't your soul get worn out?"

"Nah, that's only if we use our elements in battle. The birds taking us somewhere will be safer."

"Ok, well I guess I'll be going…" Chrono wanted to end the conversation.

"Ok, see you there Chrono. Bye!" She hung up.

Chrono placed the phone back on the receiver and looked around the rooms where Marie would have been. He stopped when he saw her on the last room of the hallway; it was a beautiful room with big, tall stained glass windows on right side of the room. The two beds looked comfortable and fuzzy, and the walls were painted with a faint blue. The other rooms looked the same but it didn't have the stain glass windows that Marie loved. She then stepped into the sunlight from those windows and she was covered by all the colors of the rainbow. She then looked at the colors on her hand.

"It looks soo beautiful. Those colors…" Marie whispered. Chrono stepped in and looked at her.

"It's not as beautiful as you." He spoke quietly. Marie barely heard him.

"As what?" Marie asked. Chrono just slumped.

"Never mind, it was not important." He spoke quickly. "I'm going too fast for this, maybe another time." He thought afterward.

"Well, do you think of this room for us?" Marie spreaded her arms and smiled. Chrono smiled as well.

"I think it's great."


	33. Satella’s Party

Chapter 33 Satella's Party

The next morning, Marie rolled out of bed by delicious smells. After she'd got out she turned to look on the other bed to see if Chrono was still sleeping. But it was empty and the bed was made. She then now walked to the dining room, seeing all types of breakfast food on the huge table. Chrono was looking at it all, amazed as well.

"Chrono? Did you make all this." She asked. Chrono shook.

"I _can_ cook but it'll take me all day to prepare all this." He said softly. He then saw a little white note by the ends of the table. He then grabbed and read it. It said:

_Dear Sister Marie and Chrono,_

_The sisters of the Chicago Branch made this breakfast_

_For you and your friends, No need to thank us, we usually _

_do this whenever a sister or brother visits us. This is our way _

_welcoming you. Oh, and Sister Kate told us on the phone about_

_your sibling mission. She told us in full description about what_

_all the siblings look like and we'll help you out with that case to_

_make it less time for you to search. But since you just got here,_

_why don't you have a little fun. There's going to carnival in_

_the middle of the city tomorrow. So anyways, if we hear about _

_your siblings we'll report you ASAP._

_Sincerely,_

_Father Gilliam_

"That was nice of them to help us." Chrono said. Marie looked at the note as well.

"Yeah, they do soo much…" Marie smiled as she finished reading. "Do you think we should have fun while they're doing this?"

Chrono made a smile. "Well, we just got here. And we didn't have a chance to relax on our mission. Maybe it's the perfect time." Chrono pulled out a seat for Marie, pushed her in and took his seat and both digged into the breakfast buffet.

"We better eat quickly before Rosette comes here." Chrono said with his mouth is full of muffins.

"Oh my! You're right!" Marie said while chugging down strawberry pancakes, then washed it down with milk.

~~~***~~~

Rosette got there in the nick of time after Chrono and Marie finished eating. Instead of saying a 'hello', she screamed 'food!' instead and grabbed everything she wanted on a plate. Azmaria came in with big heavy suitcases and closed the door to the house.

"Hey Azmaria!" Chrono greeted her as he helped her with one of her suitcases. "Wait? Did Satella come with you guys?"

Azmaria shook her head as a no. "No, she went to her villa that is somewhere in the city. But she did invite us for a party tonight for repayment of finding a photo of her older sister. She wanted me to ask you guys to come too."

"Yeah! Aren't rich people great?!" Rosette said with her mouth full.

Chrono made a little chuckle at her. "Please Rosette; you're going to burst if you continue to eat like that."

"But it's soooo good!" She continued. Chrono sighed.

"What time is the party?" Marie asked. "Do you know where her villa's located?"

Azmaria made a happy nod and pulled out a little white note from one of her pockets on her uniform, she gave it to Chrono.

"It's says it's starts at six and there's an address." Chrono said. "But we'll have to wait till Ellie, Chel's and Nate are here before we go." Just when Chrono finished talking, the door opened. And it revealed Nate in his full form carrying Ellie along with luggage. Chel's came from the back of Nate and waved to everyone embarrassed. Ellie mumbled something in Nate's arms. Was she asleep?

"What happened?" Chrono asked worried to Nate. But Nate made a hopeless sigh.

"Miss Ellie here used most of her fire power on her phoenix on our trip here. I told her to stop two hours ago, but she kept moving on. But eventually she got tired and her birdie disappeared and fell. But good thing I caught her in time."

Chelsea made a nervous laugh. "That is Ellie after all." Everybody made short laugh except Rosette, who was still eating.

"Where are the rooms, Chrono? I need to let Ellie rest." Nate asked as he folded his dusty grey wings on his back. And then Chrono showed him the way. In the mean time, Marie told Azmaria and Chelsea to have breakfast before Rosette ate everything on the table.

~~~* * *~~~

"WHAT?!? DON'T TELL ME YOU JUST SAID THAT!!!" Ellie yelled while Chelsea was driving her new model T. They were now following Rosette's car to Satella's villa for a party. Ellie, who was in the passenger seat, opened the car door while the car was still in motion.

"ELLIE!" Nate yelled as he forced her back and closed the door.

"I DON'T WANNA GO TO THAT JEWEL WITCH'S HOUSE!!! SHE LEFT ME AND CHEL'S THAT ONE TIME WHILE WE WERE FIGHTING AND LEFT THAT DEMON MESS TO CLEAN UP! ANNNDDD SHE'S A MEANIE AND HER CHEST IS HUGE AND-"

"STOP YELLING!!!" Nate yelled. "Look, it's just for tonight. Have you ever wanted to go to a rich person's party?"

"Hmmm Nate….I have to think about that-NO! Are you forgetting that me and Chelsea are rich too!? God…"

"Ohhh yeah! The mansion! Duh!" Nate said embarrassed.

"Gosh…you demons forget things easily…"

"Hey!!! We demons like me and Chrono are over a hundred years old! We got other things to remember!"

Chelsea turned her head to the bickering friends while driving. "Stop it you two!!"

"Uhhh! Chel's! Look out!" Nate freaked. Ellie screamed of what was about to happen. Chel's turned back to the road and screamed as she crashed into Rosette's parked model T by Satella's entrance gate. The bumper was completely crushed.

Rosette got out of the car and ran to the back of her model T and then screamed.

"NOOOOO WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME!?!?!" Then she let herself collapse on the road, sobbing. Chrono then got out of the car, also and helped Rosette up to her feet.

"Don't worry about it, Rosette. I think the car can still move." Chrono hugged her and patted her back.

"But it looks terrible in the back!!!" She sobbed on his shoulder. Chrono sighed.

After five more minutes of comforting Rosette, all seven friends went up to Satella's villa. And it was huge!

Rosette pressed the button for the doorbell and there, Satella opened the door.

"Trick or treat…" Ellie grumbled. Satella looked at her with a snobby smile.

"Still mad about the incident _way_ back then? Hmm element enchanter?"

"Yes…oh and let me guess?-YES!" Ellie yelled with fury and wanted to charge at Satella. But Nate held her back.

"I feel sorry for you, bud." Chrono whispered in Nate's ear, but Nate chuckled.

"It's fun actually."

"What if I give you a hundred bucks? Ellie?" Satella smiled by waving a wad of cash in her hand. Ellie quickly took it.

"OH FREE CASH! I love you, Satella!" She said chipper. Satella laughed.

"Everybody does! Well anyways, guten tag! and welcome to my villa!" Satella spreaded her arms and let her friends enter her home. As they entered, lots of paintings, drawings, vases, and pottery were all over the place. Everybody gasped at the beautiful works of art.

"Wow, look at all this neat junk!" Rosette said wide-eyed. Satella made a glare at her.

"Nein! It is not junk! I'm am art dealer and this is all of my art I need to sell. If you want to buy any just ask me or my butler, Steiner." She pointed to her butler who came into the entrance room and bowed.

"Welcome to you all, I hope you will have a nice time here. Miss Satella has been working hard to make this party the best."

"Soo? Are we ready to get this party started?!" Rosette started to rush into the ball room. But Satella held her arm out and prevented her from entering.

"Oh nein, nein, nein! You can't obviously have a party with all of you seven preparing for a demon invasion. No offense to you, Chrono." She winked.

Chrono hid behind Marie, closing his eyes and shook his head from annoying memories with her in the past. Back then after Satella realized that Chrono wasn't the _someone_ she was looking for, she gave him a big bear hug and mumbled affectionate words in German.

"Then what are we going to wear? Were not dirty, we got these new uniforms today." Marie pointed out to her new white and purple uniform. She'd finally had gotten comfy in it too.

"Well Marie, good for you cause I have a bunch of dresses in the closet in my room. You and the other girls can go pick one out to wear."

"Really?!" Azmaria sounded excited as her; Marie, Rosette, Ellie, and Chelsea were running up the stairs that lead to the second floor. "Oh!" Satella then yelled out. All five of the running girls stopped in their tracks to turn to Satella.

"You can also borrow some of my jewelry and hair products to help you look even more beautiful." She winked at them. They nodded as they rushed up again.

"Hey what about us? We are guys after all!" Nate sounded offended. Satella looked at him confusingly.

"There are two boys? This must be my lucky day!" Satella then glomped at Nate. He then screamed for help after she cuddled him.

"Heheh…sorry Nate. Satella like younger boys…even though we're not young but we appear to be." Chrono said nervously, backing away.

"I hate me…" Nate mumbled as he was squeezed into Satella's chest of her death hug.

~~~* * *~~~

"Wow, I feel fancy." Nate said while tighting his tie on his tux. Chrono looked embarrassed in his. It was a sailor suit. Chrono and Nate were waiting in the ball room and waiting for the girls to arrive. There was a pianist and a violinist playing classical music in one corner of the room while they waited. Chrono just slumped.

"I hate me…" Chrono said the same thing as Nate did earlier. Nate elbowed him.

"Well the good thing is, is that you get to have some time with your Marie. Right?"

Chrono blushed. "Yeah…but this isn't exactly the place that I want to tell her."

"Tell her what?" Nate asked confusingly. Chrono just blushed more.

"OH THAT!" he laughed. "Don't worry you can tell her that when you do find the perfect place. Me on the other hand, I think I'm going to tell Ellie today."

"WHAT!?!" Chrono bursted. "You mean…"

"Yeah…I always thought of Ellie ever since I saved her from that night in December. She can be a hot-headed, flame-throwing, hyperactive person. But I can tell she's more than just that…Aion _is_ wrong, Chrono. Even if humans are weak creatures, but beneath all that weakness, they hold many unique things. Just like treasure chest. The case might look dusty and old but inside it holds many treasures." Nate smiled as he explained. Chrono looked at him wide-eyed.

"You're right." Chrono murmured. "I always thought of them the same way."

"Hello guys!" Rosette ran into the room. She was wearing a white and blue princess-like dress with her hair still in the same way she'd had held it. When she got to Chrono, she covered her mouth and giggled.

"WHAT!?!" Chrono yelled. "She only had only two suits for us! And Nate wanted the tux…"

"HAHAHAHA!" Rosette bursted out laughing. Chrono growled deep in his throat.

"Hey guys!" Ellie and Chelsea stepped in. Ellie was wearing a red dress with no sleeves and there was black ribbons all wrapped around her waist. She wore her charm on her neck that her sister had given to her, before the crisis came the next day. The gold sparkled in the headlights.

Chel's was wearing a lime green no sleeved dress. Black lace was wrapped around her waist but it traveled down to the floor. She was wearing a big peridot necklace to match her dress. And her long hair was pulled up into a fancy-looking bun.

"Wow…" Nate said as he looked at Ellie. Rosette clapped.

"You two really look good!"

"Thanks." They both had said as they both joined with the others.

"Where are Marie and Azmaria?" Nate whispered to Ellie.

"They are still getting dressed." She answered his question.

Then and there, Marie and Azmaria entered the room. Azmaria was wearing a long pink dress that with puffy sleeves at the top and gotten longer on her arms. She wore a big amethyst jeweled necklace to match with her dress and her hair was pulled up like Chel's.

Marie was wearing a long dark blue dress that had turned sparkly and see-through at the end by her feet. She had sleeves that were like the bottom of her dress, hanging down from her arms. And she wore her pocket watch as her neaklace. And her hair was normal as always. She smiled.

Chrono looked at her like she was a princess. Widening his eyes at her.

"Ok everyone!" Satella came into the room also and clapped her hands. "Let's begin the party!"

Then and there, the violinist and the pianist started to play loudly, filling the room with beautiful music.

Chrono walked to Marie, wanting her to be his dance partner. But Satella grabbed him instead and started to twirl him around like he was a stuffed doll.

Nate quickly went to Ellie and started to dance with her.

Chel's danced with Azmaria and the only people who were left were Marie and Rosette.

"Looks like we have to wait our turn or you do want to dance too?" Rosette asked Marie. But she just shrugged.

"Whatever you want to do." Marie said.

"Ok, let's dance!" She grabbed Marie's arm and danced on over to the dance floor.

"Sooo…Ellie." Nate started while he was twirling Ellie around. He made her stop to answer him.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"There's something that I been wanting to tell you since I saw you again…and…"

"Yeah..?" Ellie looked curious.

"Umm…I…" A new song started when Nate was about to answer, then Satella grabbed him as her new dance partner.

"Whoooo!" Satella squealed with happiness. The little dark brown-haired demon tried to escape her but he was crushed in her chest again, while spinning him around.

"NOOOO!!!" He yelled uncomfortably. But Satella didn't hear him on account that she was squealing and the music was loud.

Chrono was holding his head and walked dizzily after Satella's squeeze and sequel dance. But after he got his concentration back, he headed for Marie again, but she was now dancing with Azmaria now. Rosette then grabbed Chrono's hands and started to dance with him.

"Heh, sorry. Don't want Satella to choose two dance partners." Rosette did a nervous laugh. Chrono made a little chuckle.

"Yeah, I'll choose you over her any day." He smiled at her as he twirled her around. Rosette made a little blush.

"Sooo how have you been? I haven't talked to you like this for awhile now." Chrono asked, still smiling. Rosette blushed more.

"Well, been doing good. I told you on the phone that I didn't found Joshua and all that." Rosette then twirled him. "And Satella has been driving me insane since you called and all that."

Chrono then made a nervous glare at Satella. "I wonder if I can scare her in my true form?" He laughed afterward. Rosette joined him.

"Haha…I dare you too."

"Nah, she'll probably kick me out if I'll do that."

"_Please_! I bet you a hundred dollars that she won't!"

"Well, let me see the money…" Chrono stopped dancing and held his hand out.

"I don't have any! You dolt!" She gave him a little punch on his head.

"Oww…" He whimpered. "Meanie!"

"I'll show you mean!" She then chased the little devil around the ballroom. But they stopped as the song changed.

"Wanna dance, Rosette?" Nate had asked her while holding one hand to her and his other while holding his dizzy head.

"Sure Nate." She grabbed his hand while sticking her tongue out at Chrono while they went into the ballroom again. Chrono smiled and shook his head.

"Hey Chrono." Marie stepped in front of Chrono. He smiled when he saw her.

"I've been looking for you." Chrono held out his hand. "Want a dance?" He asked like a true gentleman.

She blushed by his act. "Sure."

Chrono grabbed Marie's hands delicately and started to dance like they were a princess and a prince at a royal ball. That is till Marie tripped on her dress, because of her high heels. But Chrono caught her in time and prevented Marie from falling onto the hard marble floor.

"You ok?" He asked softly. Marie made a little nod.

"Sorry, I can't dance well. You can say that this is my first time dancing. Hahaha." She nervously giggled. Chrono made another one of his special smiles.

"It's fine. Just watch what I do." The little demon said while moving him and the apostle in circles, slowly. Marie followed like he did so.

"There, it's not soo hard isn't it?" He did a chuckle. Marie made a blush.

Meanwhile, while Rosette and Nate were dancing together. Rosette's face saddened at the sight of Marie and Chrono being this close together while dancing. She only wished the last song was longer and that they haven't kidded and fought.

"I really want to be with you, Chrono." The blonde girl sadly thought. "There's soo many things I want to tell you, soo many things to do for you…"

Marie looked around and saw Rosette staring at her sadly, like she wanted to be in her position. Then she looked at Chrono while they were continuing their dance. He had that affectionate look on his face again.

"Chrono?" Marie said quietly. Chrono looked at her.

"What is it, Marie?"

"There's something that I want to talk to you about, but not-"

"OK! DINNER EVERYONE!" Satella had shouted from the dinning room nearby. Then and there, the music stopped and so did the dancing. Then all of the friends had entered the room and sat in their chairs by the long white table which was covered with delicious foods and desserts. Satella sat at the far end and grabbed her glass with fizzing pink liquid, made a 'clink' with it, with her fork, and everybody then and there stood up and held their drinks as Satella had done.

"I want to thank everybody of coming here to my party. I know we are supposed to be searching for the ones that we had lost and loved soo dear. But then I said, 'Why don't we have fun for just one night? Or two for that matter!'" The German woman had laughed, and then continued her toast.

"We had been working hard, but I don't know about you guys but I've worked for ten years straight for trying to find my sister, and the demon that had took her away. And for those long years, I haven't had any joy, laughter, enjoyment till now…But here's a toast. We'll find our lost brothers and sisters, and we'll never give up. No matter what! Prost!" (Prost means cheers! In German.)

"Cheers!" Everybody said and clicked their crystal glasses together, then drank the pink fizzy liquid inside it. But in the end, everybody spat it out instead of Chrono and Nate.

"What the hell!?" Rosette blurted. "This is alcohol!!!"

Satella gazed her pink sapphire eyes on everybody, confusingly. "What? You guys don't like wine?"

"YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LUCKY THAT I WON'T TURN YOU IN FOR PROHIBITING! DO YOU KNOW IT'S ILLGAL TO DRINK THIS STUFF NOW!?" Rosette yelled. But Satella just laughed.

"Why yes! And I refuse to obey to that senseless law! After all I'm nineteen!"

"WHAT!?!?!" The girls had yelled, except for the boys.

"Why don't you guys try it? It tastes better than that sugary soda pop!"

Then and there, the girls looked at their drinks spaciously.

"You know, let's all give it a try! And besides, it's not like we are going to drink more or get drunk or anything!" Rosette had decided, and sipped the wine.

~~~* * *~~~

"WAHOO! GIMMIE ANOTHER!" Rosette had just finished her third bottle of wine. Satella laughed furiously and gave her another bottle.

"OH OH! Gimmie me another too Satella!" Marie said after she'd her second. She was on the urge of getting drunk as the others.

"HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!!!! WHEEE!!!" Ellie and Chelsea held hands and spun around everywhere in the ballroom. And also laughing furiously as Satella was.

"Uhhhh…." Chrono, Nate, and Azmaria stared at all the crazy, drunken ladies in the ballroom. Sure all three of them had drunk a glass of wine but didn't go overboard like the others.

After the two Element Sisters stopped spinning, Ellie rushed over to Nate and gave him a hug.

"I lowe yowu Nate! Cann I see yew in your howttie form!" She spoke like a drunken retard. Nate then blushed. "You what?"

"Howttie form!" She yelled while jumping up and down, still embracing him.

Nate realized that he would do anything for her. Drunk or not.

"O-Ok if you insist!" Nate said pleasantly.

"Nate don't-" Chrono started. But it was too late. Darkness had swirled around Nate and turned into his true self. Ellie still embraced him and mumbled the word 'Howt' while she placed her head on his chest. Chrono sighed angrily.

But now it was Rosette's turn. She then dropped her fourth bottle of wine on the ground and glass and liquid broke and spilled everywhere onto the floor, and then she embraced the little purple-haired demon with a goofy smirk on her face.

"Do yew loowe me, Kourno?" She asked. Chrono just looked at her confused with a blush on his face. He didn't speak. Then Rosette grew angry.

"Ove courses nowt. Yowu lov that stewpid Marrie! Whaf doessies gots thawts I don'ts gots!?"

Chrono face saddened. He always thought of Rosette as his best friend instead of girlfriend. But they were getting close before Marie had appeared. But Chrono did know that they would have been together if the Magdalene Order hadn't separated them two since they first came in. If Marie hadn't appeared, Chrono and her will always be together but…

You can't change time. You can't reverse everything that has happened. Therefore it is fate. But Chrono really liked the three girls that he had been with him.

Marie was the one who saved him the first place if he was a demon or not, and had become his first friend. As time passed, she changed Chrono. And when she had nowhere to go when her mother had died from illness, he stepped in and made a contract in order to take care of her. She had done soo much for him and yet, he wants to give her everything that he has to return those favors. Everything, even love.

Magdalene was the second to change him. She explained everything had a soul in their hearts and had a life. Even if she told him…she didn't had a soul of her own, or life. It was taken away from the power that God had given to her. Chrono then felt sorry for her and gave her his love for the replacement for everything that she had lost in her memories.

Rosette was the last, but yet changed the little demon completely. Showing him fun and enjoyment after fifty years he was asleep in the cold, lonely tomb. After they had become friends, she told him secrets and stories from her own. She even let him read her diary once. She had trust him completely like Marie had.

It's true. Chrono loved all three of his angels, or contractors. But Marie is what effected him the most of the three. He really truly loves Rosette, but he loves her as a friend now.

"Rosette…" Chrono spoke sadly. "I don't know what to say…"

"YEW HAWTE MIE!!!" Rosette yelled. "WHIY!?!?" She yelled in his face.

"I don't hate you, Rosette. Can't we talk about this later, after you're normal again?"

"NOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!" She screamed. Then she grabbed her stomach with her right arm, and threw up all over the marble floor. Right by Chrono's feet.

She then fell flat on her back and was then out flat. Chrono noticed that the room was quieted and saw everybody was out flat like Rosette was, on the floor. Except for Ellie, she was leaning on Nate in his true form. Chrono didn't even know why Azmaria was out. Maybe she was tired?

"What a mess…." Were Chrono's last words, as he continued to look at his friends around him, drop-dead drunk on the marbled floor.


	34. Discussion

Chapter 34 Discussion

"Ow…" Rosette whined as she went outside on the patio, outside of the home. She leaning her arms against the wooden railing that continued to go straight till it slid down when it got the stairs. It was early at night and Rosette was in the middle of her hangover. She then whimpered again and decided to hold one hand on her head.

Rosette couldn't sleep, even if she's having the nastiest headache in her life. Things were roaming around in her aching head. Mostly about Chrono.

All that the aching blonde wanted to do is to just pull out her own gun and shoot her head. She probably bet that she had told him that she loved him when she was drunk. What would she do now if the one that she loves; loves another person?

Rosette then growled. "I wished Marie didn't exist!" She yelled angrily. She even made scratch dents on the wooden railing that her left hand was on. But then she slumped and rested her head on the top of the railing.

"No. Marie's my friend…What am I saying?" Rosette spoke seriously. "I guess I really need to head off to bed." As she was heading for the door to go inside, the door opened and Chrono stepped outside. He gave her a worried look.

"Rosette…why aren't you resting? It's one in the morning." The little demon spoke serious. "Most of all, you probably have a huge hangover."

"Yeah…" Rosette spoke softly, stepping back to lean on the railing. "Even if my head hurts, I can't stop thinking. And I really hate to think or worry about things."

Chrono made a soft chuckle; it might even be close to a sigh. He walked over to her and leaned his arms over the railing like she had.

"Would those thoughts be about me by any chance?" Chrono spoke softly again. Rosette's face saddened.

"Yes, and now I can't stop thinking about you Chrono. Whenever I'm around you I always have this warm feeling deep inside my heart that yearns to be with you, always. It's like ever since you changed contractors, you just stopped from all the time talking with me, to barely talking to me at all. I miss you, Chrono. I really do."

Rosette then started to sprout tears. Thus, making her headache even worse.

Chrono placed his left hand on Rosette's cheek and his thumb wiped her tears. Rosette then placed her hand on his to prevent his hand from letting go.

"Rosette, I really regret saying this but…" Chrono didn't want to finish. "…we can't be together like we'd almost done a year ago. And by 'together' I mean we can't be a couple."

It ripped Rosette's heart soo slowly when he had said that. And all the pain and numbness had now entered her heart. Making her body freeze of where it was at, and also made her produce more and more tears. But Chrono wiped most of them away.

"Don't cry." Chrono pleaded. "Please. It will make me happy if you stopped."

Rosette slowed her tears down to a minimum and breathed slowly in and out, making her calm again.

"Rosette…" Chrono called her name again. "I'm sorry. I'm truly am. But I have to be with Marie. She had given me soo much, and yet lost soo much. She'd lost her family and now her soul. I had made a contract with her because she didn't have anywhere to go to many years ago, to protect her. And because that we switched, I didn't want you to die from your contract. But now with her being a grand apostle and her older brother being a hostage, danger surrounds her and I don't want the person who had saved me, befriended me, and trusted me…to leave me again. I love her, Rosette. I don't know what I'll do if I lost her again."

It took Rosette awhile to make Chrono's explanation to sink into her sore head. But she painfully understood why that Chrono had to be with her. She'll do the same if she were him. And she would had loved the person too if they saved, befriended, and trusted her.

Chrono then cupped Rosette's head with both of his hands, making her look into his scarlet eyes.

"And Rosette…" He continued the discussion. "…I love you too, deeply. But the things as they are right now…"

"I know." Rosette said sadly. "You don't have to explain me anymore Chrono. Now I know."

Then and there, Chrono's face lit up with little pinch of happiness. "Thank you Rosette." He said delicately.

"You're welcome." Rosette replied. And now she wanted Chrono to let go of her face. But Chrono refused too.

"Chrono…" Rosette blushed and smiled. "I understand. I'm not sad anymore, kay?" She made a nervous laugh.

"Do you wish to have our first and last kiss, Rosette?" Chrono asked sweetly. "Before we let go..?"

Rosette then blushed as read as an apple. "OOHHH UHHH!?!?" She freaked out.

"Close your eyes." Chrono said it in the most softest and friendly way. The nervous blonde closed her eyes tightly and prepared for the kiss. It was something that she had dreamt of, ever since she befriended and gotten close to Chrono four years ago. This was it.

His soft lips intertwined with her own, and Rosette had enjoyed this moment as much as she can. Her friend, her used-to-be partner, her love...

The kiss lasted for five minutes and then Chrono had let go, along with his hands.

"Still friends? Right?" Rosette asked with a smile, he smiled too.

"Friends, no. Best friends, yes."

Rosette giggled. "Thought so."

"I think that you should sleep, Rosette. After all were all going to the carnival tomorrow? Right?" He winked as he opened the door to go in.

Rosette smiled bigger now. "Yeah."

Then the two best friends entering into their home again, went to their own beds, and slept.


	35. Magdalene

Chapter 35 Magdalene

"What's happening?" Chrono thought nervously. He was in his true form in a very cold place; both of his wrists were handcuffed and were chained to the floor. But the floor he was standing on were slain demons, a hundred million of them. These were the Pursuers that he'd killed many years ago.

"What?" He asked himself nervously. "Where am I!?"

"Hello Chrono." A very evil and familiar voice had called him. Chrono looked ahead and saw Aion. Unlike him, he wasn't chained or handcuffed. But he was standing on pile of more dead bodies. Not demons, but humans. But those humans were familiar; they were Marie's family, The Element and Jewel Summoner's family, Azmaria's parents and orchestra members…

"C'mon Chrono…" Aion cooed softly. "Are you ready to take the plunge? Are you ready for freedom!?" He lowered his hand so Chrono can grab.

"If I take his hand…" Chrono nervously thought. "Will I stop being cold? Will my chains brake? Will I…be _happy_?"

Chrono reached his hand for his, but then a light then appeared behind and embraced him.

"Don't do it Chrono!" It sounded like two voices that Chrono remembered, but it morphed into one.

"This warmth…" Chrono whispered. "It's the same warmth I've had inside of my heart."

Then and there, the chains had broken and Chrono had embraced the light in his arms too.

"Chrono you fool!" Aion yelled in pain while the light that Chrono was hugging brightened more and pushed the white devil farther away into nothingness.

"Who are you?" Chrono had asked the light. "Why did you save me? A demon? What did I do to deserve this?"

The light slowly took form into a woman. She had short brown hair and light hazel eyes.

"Because you look like a demon that would rather protect than fight…" The woman spoke, still with two familiar voices. "I can tell by your gentle eyes, and the softness of your voice."

Chrono suddenly remembered those words; Marie had said that to him when she first met him while bandaging his wounds on the daisy field.

"And yet…" The woman who had spoken in two continued, yet she was forming into another woman. A girl with long blonde hair and icy blue eyes.

"…most demons don't have a pure soul. But you, you have a kind soul, Chrono."

Chrono had widened his eyes at the woman now.

"Mag-" He spoke then the image slowly turned into a different room. His and Marie's bedroom. And Marie was looking at Chrono from above while she was letting him rest his head on her lap.

"Thank goodness you awoke, I was getting worried." She spoke relieved.

Chrono froze embarrassed, but it made Marie worry again.

"What's wrong!?" She'd asked. "If you're worried about the nightmare, everything's fine, you're back in the real world."

"Oh…so that's what happened." Chrono thought. Then he made himself comfortable.

"I feel a lot better now. Thank you Marie." Chrono said softly to her. She'd smiled back.

"Anytime." She made a quiet laugh. "Why don't we go back to sleep? You're probably tired after that nightmare."

Chrono replied by shaking his head on Marie's lap. "Nah, I had a lot of rest. But for right now, I just want to be with you." He made his special smile to her.

Marie made a little smile back and then closed her eyes and smiled. She thought about what happened yesterday. Her dancing with Chrono and Rosette's eyes staring at her were blue and sorrowful.

Marie was about to say the same thing to Chrono back at the party, but he managed to beat her.

"Marie?" He said her name seriously.

"Yeah."

"Do you wish to hear the story? The story of me and _her_?" He asked with a pitch of sadness in his tone. Marie looked at him worried again.

"Now? But-"

"I think it's time for me to tell you, Marie." He interrupted and made himself get up and sat along his bed's edge with Marie. He then grabbed a hold of her hands, for reassurance.

"It started a long time ago, during 1870…" He started.

~~~* * *~~~

Eden…

That was the Sinner's new hideout. And Shader built the huge place from scratch. It was a utopia, a paradise that floated way up in the sky. The castle Shader built was absolutely beautiful. There were tall windows, humongous rooms, and beautiful paintings hanging on each room.

"YAY! Soooo you like it!?" Shader asked while the Sinners had come here from _that_ night. The night when Marie died.

Everybody agreed happily, except for Chrono. He was carrying his dead love in his arms. It hurt him to look at her this way, no movement, no heart beat, no _life_…

Her brown bangs were covering up her eyes and Chrono brushed the stands out of the way and made a trembling smile.

"Don't worry…" He grew tears from his amber eyes. "You'll be alive again and we'll live together here, forever."

Aion turned from his cheery group and turned to Chrono.

"Chrono," He spoke with no tone. He held out his hands to him.

"let me have the girl, I promise I'll make her alive and well again." He continued with the un-feeling tone. Chrono looked at Marie one last time and handed her over to him. He then nodded and went to Shader, asking her where her lab was at in their new home.

The purple-maroon demon continued to watch Marie till Aion and Shader took her into the castle. Watching her disappear beyond the tall windows.

Twenty years had past and Chrono hadn't seen one glimpse of Marie yet. He even asked Aion to check up on her, but he always says,

"Patience Chrono, you'll see her soon enough."

But Chrono begun to have doubts on him, he should have known that he lied. Who would trust a demon that killed her and promised to bring her back to life?

Chrono sighed and looked at the Arizona sunset in his old teen form. He wished that he could just leave and live on his own. But even if he did, the Sinners will come back for him and even beat him up like the last time he escaped. But luckily that time he survived because Marie was there to help him. But if he had gotten caught again, he'll doubt if anybody will help him this time.

"Chrono!" Nate called him from behind. Chrono turned his view from the sunset to Nate who ran next to him by the edge of Eden.

"Aion told me to tell you that you have an important mission do to now."

"What important mission?" He asked angrily, wanting to be alone for once.

"Since we've been looking for the head of Pandemonium now for twenty years and not yet succeeded, we need somebody with great powers that we demons can't hold, and it's the opposite of us. The holy one. He or she will help us detect the head."

"And where can I find this 'holy one'?" Chrono sounded un-excited for a mission. Nate then gave him a map.

"Aion told me that there is a certain headquarters that exterminate our kind, and it's not that far away from the Grand Canyon." Nate explained while he pointed the destination on the map.

"…and if you sneak in, kidnap the 'holy one' and take her here," Nate then pointed at the inside of the Grand Canyon. "there will be a horse, and we'll be waiting for you."

Chrono nodded as he looked at the map again, placed it in one of his pockets in his shirt which was covered by his big light tan poncho, and then he transformed and flew off of Eden and into warm dusky sky.

~~~* * *~~~

"In you and I there's a new land.  
Angel's in flight.

My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah.  
Where fears and lies melt away.

Music will tie.  
What's left of me, what's left of me now?

I watch you fast asleep,  
All I fear means nothing…"

Magdalene had sung a song. She was sitting in a desk with a lit candle, opened journal, and writing down the predictions in her book in cursive with her feathered ink pen.

"Tonight's the night that'll go to my sanctuary." The blonde girl smiled. Her own prediction that she had since she was very little, was about to come true at last.

"Three…two…one." Magdalene started her countdown. Then she heard loud footsteps coming nearer and nearer to her in between shelves in the library she was in. Which each step, her smile grew.

And out of the darkness came a creature with amethyst hair, maroon wings, two pearl-white horns and beautiful amber eyes. He reached out his clawful hand to her.

"You're Magdalene, the holy one I presume." The demon spoke. Before he was about to grab her himself, Magdalene just ran herself at him and cupped the demon's face with her soft, warm hands.

"I've been waiting for soo long for you to take me away from this cage of mine. Shall we go, _Chrono_?"

Chrono just stared at the woman in shock. How can this woman know him? They haven't met.

"Y-You know my name?" He asked trembling. But before he can ask more, exorcists marched in from all sides of the library, holding guns and swords and other weapons. Chrono grabbed a hold of Magdalene in the back, and pushed her protectively closer to him.

Meanwhile, a young blonde teen came out from the group of exorcists and pulled out a long metal sword.

"Lucky for you that I heard you sneaking in here, demon!" The boy smirked as he pointed his sword at Chrono. But Chrono growled as his reply and he showed his big white fangs.

"I don't want to hurt these people, what should I do!?" Chrono thought afterward.

"In five seconds, he's going to strike your left shoulder from above." Magdalene whispered to nervous demon. Chrono looked at her shocked again.

"If you grab me and fly into onto one of these windows, you'll make it without anybody getting hurt." Magdalene had finished.

"She can see the future?" Chrono wondered.

"Release Magdalene! You creature!" The blonde boy commanded and charged himself at Chrono with his sword. He jumped and was about to strike his left shoulder. But the purple-haired demon followed Magdalene's prediction and flew fast and straight to one of the long windows in the library, busted it, and flew away upwards like a golden comet.

"Ewan hurry!!!" A person called the blonde boy from behind. But instead of following, he looked out the broken window, only seeing Chrono turn into little golden dot and he disappeared as he flew farther away.

"Magdalene…why?" Ewan whispered.

~~~* * *~~~

"So, that's why you need help from me?" Magdalene spoke with a smile, riding on horseback with Chrono, who making the horse go faster and faster deep within the Grand Canyon.

"Yes, and you're the seer for us. Mary Magdalene." Chrono spoke while he pushed the horse to run faster. Not for long, he finally found Aion and the other Sinners in their old teen forms who were standing and waiting by their horses.

"Looks like you found your horse." Aion smiled as Chrono gotten off. Then he helped Magdalene.

"Soo, this might be the 'holy one'." Aion greeted her and he went to kiss her hand.

"I hope you'll help us with our plans." The white-haired demon smiled after the smooch. Magdalene replied by making a curtsy with her long soft brown and white dress.

"I'll do anything to help. I'm Mary Magdalene." She said softly.

"Ok, do you have any powers of searching of any kind, or a detector? We need to find the head of Pandemonium, you see. And it'll help us quite much if you'll find it for us."

Magdalene nodded as she sat down with her knees on the ground.

"I would step back if I were you." Magdalene warned as all seven Sinners stepped five paces back.

Then out of the blue, green swirls of light appeared everywhere in the sky and then the lights headed down for Magdalene, touched her, and then the long blonde woman scrunched her eyes and held two of her hands up. Concentrating.

"The astrallines…soo she can call it to give her more power to ones she has. Interesting." Aion said while placing his hand on his chin.

After awhile the green lights returned and disappeared into the sky and Magdalene had opened her eyes. But they were all watery and blood-shot.

"I see it. The only thing you have to do is to continue to go down the end of the Grand Canyon and you'll find what you're looking for." Magdalene spoke with a little whimper in her voice.

"Alright, we're right on it." Aion said utterly excited.

"Aion!" Chrono rushed to hold the exhausted blonde woman in his arms. Magdalene felt terribly weak.

"I bet she'll be fine if you slapped her around a bit!" Genai suggested. But Chrono shook.

"She had to search everywhere in this area! She's exhausted!"

"Well here's a solution, all of us will go after Pandemonium while you stay here with Mary." Aion commanded Chrono while he and the other Sinners got back on their horses.

"Make sure you don't escape now." Where Aion's last words, then the Sinners left.

Chrono sighed. "Well, I guess we should pick a place to rest." Then he grabbed the weakened girl.

"Thank you." Magdalene whispered to him, her eyes filled with affection. But Chrono ignored her comment and then made her sit on the ground while he laid his poncho on the ground for her to sleep on.

"Thank you." She said more sweetly this time. But Chrono only made a short growl at her.

"If you're trying to win my heart, I will rather stop now. I'm already taken." After that, Chrono then went to sit along edge of the lake they were close by to. Away from the prophetess.

Magdalene sat up and looked at him with her icy eyes, filled with understanding.

"You do love her, don't you? Chrono…"

~~~* * *~~~

Everything was darkness in Chrono's dream, or you can say nightmare. Chrono was in his true form and ahead of him was Marie; she had beautiful glowing gold wings on her back and was spreaded out. She smiled happily at him and then rushed to embrace the kind demon. But then, heavy chains popped from the ground and were chaining around her and her angel form. She looked scared and called out Chrono's name in pain.

It made his heart rip over and over again to see her like that. As he was running to get her, Aion appeared and blocked his way then said,

"Patience Chrono, you'll see her soon enough."

"LET ME THROUGH, AION! SHE'S DYING!" Chrono screamed and pushed the white devil out of the way. But as he gotten through, Marie was already gone.

"Demons should _never_ be with humans. It's never meant to be."

When Chrono was about to rip Aion into shreds, he'd awoken by cold water splashed on his face.

"Wha!" Chrono spoke as he saw Magdalene close to him. Too close…

"What's the big idea!? Are you trying to make me mad!?" Chrono quickly backed away. Magdalene laughed.

"After toke my bath and got dressed, you were sweating and mumbling something in your sleep. I could have thought it would have been a nightmare, soo I woke you up with water." Mary explained.

"Ugh…I was soo close. _Soo_ close."

"To what?" Magdalene questioned.

"Never mind, just keep your distance from me next time!" The purple-haired demon growled and bared his fangs like before. But Magdalene returned a sad glance.

"By the way, where's my poncho?" Chrono asked.

Magdalene answered by pulling his poncho on her lap with a tread and a sewing needle attached.

"You don't mind if I fix it for you? It was falling apart at the seams."

Chrono made a low growl in his chest. But then Magdalene sat by him closely and cupped his face with her hands again.

"Look, I understand. I don't have any intension of 'being together'. I know that you loved Marie very much…"

"Wait! You _know_ about her!?" Chrono asked surprisingly. Magdalene nodded as she let her hands escape from her hold.

"Yes, I know everything. From the day when you met, till the day she'd died. I know events Chrono. I _see_ things. That's my main power. And your event with you and Marie has now started a chain filled with sorrowful events that will soon happen in the later future. Many people will die; some will be kidnapped, controlled. Wars will start. And at the ending of your last war Chrono, will be a huge separation. But as the chain ends, you'll later be rejoined."

"Rejoined with whom?" Chrono asked curious. Magdalene frowned.

"My predictions are no more than fuzzy pictures, moving like a projector in my mind. I do not know who, Chrono. I'm sorry."

Chrono then sighed, and Magdalene had begun sewing again. Silence had overtaken them for a while till Chrono had spoke.

"Can you tell me…" he started.

"Hmm?" Magdalene continued to sew.

"…can you tell me if Marie's going to be alive again? Please, if I don't know now then I'll be always wondering. Aion has never given me up to date about her."

"I'm sorry once more, Chrono. But I don't have any event on that. But if I do see something, I'll tell you as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Magdalene." Chrono spoken softly.

"Anytime." She had smiled cheerfully and given Chrono his poncho back. It was all fixed up and perfect now.

"She's one strange woman." Chrono had thought as he sniffed his poncho then placed it over his clothing again.

"But yet…" he thought again. "…She's easy to talk to and to be around with. Maybe we will be good friends. After all, I had nobody to talk to for twenty years."

"Haha! We're back!" Chrono had heard Aion shout in the distance, along with the other Sinners rushing back to the demon and apostle on their horses.

"We finally got it." Aion spoke down to Chrono with excitement, making the purple-head tremble when he stared at his ambitious eyes. He held the pale devil queen's head up high by her white locks.

"The head of Pandemonium!"

**AN: I hope you liked the chapter everyone ^^" I might take me awhile to post the next chapter up, because 1. I have to get in the writing zone again because I've been grounded off my laptop since the begginning of February 2. I also need to get back into my fav anime/manga Chrono Crusade! Sooo I can get used to writing about it (I kinda gotton interested in other things while I was grounded...) and 3. Things have happened to my parents since I was grounded which leaves me worried now and then...**

**Soo I promise I'll try to update on this fic asap**

**and my next chap will be for My Winter (God, I really need to finish that one -_- and it's already spring!)**


	36. Passing

Chapter 36 Passing

"Hmmm hmmm hmmm…." Magdalene hummed to the same sung when she was still back at the Order. Now she was hanging up damp laundry on the clotheslines outside. It's been three weeks since she was here, helping out the Sinners through their Pandemonium project and by doing chores. It didn't bother her though, she was happy now that she can do something than writing her predictions in a journal all day.

Nearby, Chrono was watching her. Magdalene interested him and helped him not being bored. For those pass weeks, all that he did was watch her. He wanted to talk to her badly but if he did, he'll probably babble how worried he is about Marie coming back. He sighed.

"Marie…" He whispered.

"I know you're back there." Magdalene said while she grabbed a couple of clothespins that she had in her little basket on the ground, next to the laundry basket filled with now-cleaned clothes.

Chrono flinched. "You knew I was coming?" he revealed himself.

"Nope, just heard you." She turned to him and made her cheerful smile. Chrono made an embarrassing look.

"You can talk to me, Chrono. I won't bite. And if you have a problem, you can always tell me and I'll try to solve it."

"You can't. My problem is the Marie issue." He said while he walked to her. Magdalene looked at him in pity.

"Chrono, I may have said this before but I don't know what will happen. But…"

"But what!?" Chrono was impatient to know.

"…But based by my own thoughts, I think that she will come in your life again once more. Aion wouldn't stand for one of his comrades to look all gloomy all the time. He promised you right?"

Chrono nodded slowly.

"Well then, it's bound to happen."

"But it's taking him such a long time."

"If I was trying to revive somebody back from the dead, it would take _time _for me too. Just be patient, alright?" Magdalene smiled her smile at him again. Chrono made a little chuckle.

"Ok, I'll try. Thanks for listening to me."

She made a soft laugh. "You're welcome."

After that, she went back to hanging clothing on the clotheslines. Then out of the sudden, Chrono slowly went up to her and gently grabbed a lock of her hair, and smelt it.

Magdalene turned to look at him with a concerned look on her face. Chrono made one last sniff and placed her lock back with the rest of her hairs.

"It's a demon thing." Chrono explained. "For the last twenty years I've lived here, Pursuers came to try to kill us and destroy this place. So if anything like that happens again, I'll just follow your scent, search, and protect you."

"Oh!" Magdalene looked surprised. "I thought you were sniffing me because you thought might I smell delicious or something!" she hesitated. Chrono looked blankly at her.

"Why would-I? WHAT!? Why did you ever think that?!" Chrono said.

"I don't know…" Magdalene said as she held her closed hands to her face.

Chrono looked at her with a blank face again. Then something came into his mind.

"You know, you do look tasty…maybe I'll have you for a midnight snack, we demons are _always_ hungry." Chrono kidded.

It took Magdalene a second to know that he was kidding; she made a soft giggle after she knew.

"Oh no! Whatever should I do!?" Magdalene fakily cried as she placed both of her hands on her cheeks, and made a girlish scream.

"I better start running if I were you, cause I'm hungry _now_." Chrono announced and started to chase after Magdalene. She screamed and ran off to hide behind some rows of clothing that she just hung up, but a pair of arms grabbed her right through the clothing.

"Gotcha!" Chrono said excitedly as Magdalene quickly got lose from Chrono's grip, ducked, and began to run again.

"I'm going to get you!" Chrono ran after her again with a fake growl. After twenty years of living here, he finally had some joy to his life again.

"I would like to see you try!" Magdalene yelled as she pushed through clothing hanging from the clotheslines. But what she didn't know is that Chrono had gotten closer to her after each step he ran. Finally he caught her in his arms and tackled her to the ground, like a lion catching its prey.

"No!" Magdalene fakily cried, and then her laughter filled the air. Chrono let her go as he laughed along with her.

"That was fun." Magdalene admitted with joy. "I haven't have this much fun since…I don't remember!"

"It was fun." Chrono smiled as he gotten up from the grass, and then he held out his hand for Magdalene.

As she grabbed his hand and held her up, they began laughing once again. And not for too long, they started to chase around and through the clotheslines again.

But while they continued their game on the outside, a pair of dark violet eyes watched them,

in disappointment…

disgust…

but most of all…

_hatred_.

~~~***~~~

The twilight sky had shined upon Eden. The once light blue sky was painted into a dark velvety purple, and stars begun to pop up one by one in the dusk.

Chrono was again on the edge of Eden, but he laid his back on the ground to watch the stars appear.

"She wants to shine, forever in time,

She is so driven, and alwaysmine.

Clearly and free, she wants you to be,

A part of the future, a _demon_…

…like me."

Chrono sighed after he sang a song he just made up. He raised his arm in the sky and patiently waited for Marie's soul to grab his hand and take him along with her.

But he knew it wouldn't happen…

He knew that he wouldn't see her again…

…Aion lied to bring him back…

"Why? Why did you kill her!?" Chrono screamed and broke away the silence. "WHY!!!" He wanted Aion to hear his cries. As he continued, tears dropped on each side of Chrono's amber eyes, afflicted.

"If…If it brings soo much in my heart to remember her, I'll forget. I-I'll move…on." Chrono shrouded his face, ashamed that he just said that. He squinted his eyes tightly and said that disgusting word again.

"Forget."

Footsteps rustled on the ground near Chrono. The demon opened his eyes and saw Magdalene sitting along-side him, her face was colored in pity.

"Are you alright?" The blonde asked. Chrono grunted and sat up along with her.

"…Yes. I'm perfectly fine." He lied.

Magdalene looked at Chrono's face; it was the same face when she first met him. And she bet that he'd always looked like this while he first lived here.

"Aww I missed it!" Magdalene pouted, trying to cheer the demon up.

"Missed what?" Chrono asked curious.

"The sunset." Magdalene said. "It's my favorite part of the day and I missed it!"

"Do you always look at the sunset? I haven't really noticed."

"Yes, from when I was living in the Order, and when I started living here, in Eden. The best part of where I like to watch it is from the library that you have here. The windows are big and tall, not to mention it's on the second floor and I can see the towns better on the ground." Magdalene explained.

"Towns?" Chrono said confused.

"I'll tell you why, if you decide to watch the next sunset with me." Magdalene grinned fully.

"I…I'll think about it."

Silence overtook them after Chrono spoke, but he soon broke it after the quietness annoyed him.

"Hey…"

"Hmm?" Magdalene looked over to Chrono.

"Why do demons have to be the way they are? Killing, slaying, murdering… why is that our purpose? Why did I kill a hundred million of my own kind for freedom? All of this doesn't make any sense. Why am I not like _them_? If I did…I wouldn't be in this mess."

"You're special." Magdalene spoke before Chrono continued on.

"I'm happy that you didn't turn out like them, you'll rather protect living things other than harming them. You didn't turn out wrong Chrono; you were the runt of the litter." Magdalene giggled.

"…Most demons don't have a pure soul. But you, you have a kind soul, Chrono. And I don't want you to change. You're perfect the way you are."

Chrono looked at her icy eyes, filled with same ingredients with Marie's eyes when he first met her; trust, truth, and kindness. He knew there was more but he couldn't think right at the moment. He only thought of the words that Magdalene said to him.

It was finally dark now and the only lights were shown are from the lighting from the castle on Eden, the huge moon, and the thousands of stars. When Chrono looked up, Magdalene pointed up.

"It looks soo beautiful! I wish I could just fly up there and touch the sky." She smiled at her hope. Five seconds later, darkness revealed behind her, and was grabbed and brought to the sky.

"Chrono?" Magdalene turned and faced him in his true demonic form. Chrono then chuckled, than he looked at her seriously.

"Thank you…Magdalene." _For the words…_


	37. Lust

Chapter 37 Lust

"Soo how is it?" Aion asked Shader in her lab. Him, her and Chrono were looking at the head of their used to be devil queen, and mother, Pandemonium. It was plugged with thousands of wires inside a big tube, filled with lime-colored liquid.

"Just peachy! The memory removal is already forty percent complete!" Shader answered disappointed.

"But," She continued. "It won't be long before we can access information on the structural makeup of the central control system."

As Shader continued on, Chrono looked to see if Marie was in here, but no luck. Aion did lie.

"Forget…" The word murmured in his thoughts. _Forget…_

"Remember people, this isn't just an access point—It's a part of Pandemonium herself. If we search her memory, we'll be able to find a weakness…" Aion spoke as he touched the glass tube.

"How's Mary? Is she also helping you with this?" Chrono asked.

"YES! I couldn't ask for a better assistant!" Shader squealed. "I know she's human but with the power she has, she knows our technology. Like she's seen our technology for years. Without her help, we've would not have gotten this far yet."

Chrono did a little smile and then faded back.

"I'm going back up." He said, and then he slowly went back up the metallic stairs, that he used to get down here.

Aion listened till his footsteps finally faded and then he turn back to Shader.

"So, how is the _other_ project going?"

Shader sighed and then she pressed a secret button that was hidden on her keyboard that was for the Pandemonium project.

After she'd pressed it, a metal block of the floor begun rising up to reveal another glass tube. But this one had girl lifelessly inside it, floating in the same lime-green liquid. It was Marie.

"This project is tougher than the Pandemonium one, Aion. I tried to put everything that gives life to her but it's like she had something other than life in her, like she needs another ingredient…"

Aion continued to look at the lifeless girl inside the tube, disgusted.

"It's fine Shader. I realized now that Chrono has another woman in his life now. If we revive her, all that we're going to do is make Chrono less than the demon that he already is. With more of these _creatures_ in his life, we'll be **WORTHLESS**!!!" Aion punched the glass of the tube, causing it to brake.

"You know good as well that Chrono and I are twins. We both have the same demonic power…And his power might _just_ might be a little stronger than my own. You see, if Chrono continues to _love_,_ lust_, whatever it's called—it's going to make us lose our team's strength! And our new utopia that we'll make in this world won't exist without him."

Shader looked at Aion sadly as he looked at ground, filling with green liquid that was coming out of Marie's broken tube.

"_Love_…Ugh! It's the same as lust. Chrono, if you really want to love someone, love somebody that's your own species damn it…" Aion then turn to look at Shader, his eyes like poison.

"Clean up this mess…and dispose of the girl. She's nothing more than a body of weak flesh."

Then Aion was gone.

"Chrono…" Shader said as she quickly searched in her nearby cabinets for duct tape. As she finally found some she quickly taped the broken glass that Aion punched in Marie's glass tube.

"…I revive her for you." Then Shader placed her had where she taped the broken glass, then she looked up at Marie's lifeless face with her hair moving from the liquid.

~~~* * *~~~

"Another wonderful book…" Magdalene smiled as she stood up from a big arm-chair in Eden's library and placed the book where she'd found it.

"_Beauty and the Beast_…my favorite fairy-tale." She giggled. Next she searched for more books from the shelves. But there was no luck, mostly the books that the Sinners had are books from their old home, Pandemonium. The books contained a different language, but Magdalene can read them. But she wasn't in for books that would help demons destroy the world.

"Blah, blah, blah…" Magdalene said as she picked up a random demon book and flipped through the pages. Then she sighed and placed it back right on the shelve.

At that moment, a picture flashed through her mind that somebody is coming in the library in no more than a second. She blinked and smiled once more.

Then footsteps entered the library and a voice called, "Mary?"

It was Chrono's voice.

Magdalene giggled softly and thought up a game to play. As the footsteps got closer to her, Magdalene quickly yet soundly, rushed to the next shelf above her.

Chrono got to the shelve that Magdalene was in, and stood there puzzled.

"I thought I've heard something in here. Magdalene?" Chrono called as he begun to walk over to Magdalene's new hiding spot, then she quietly rushed over to the next shelf.

"Magdalene?" Chrono called again. And stood there between two book shelves. He heard soft giggles nearby the next shelf.

Chrono couldn't help but make a grin across his face. "Very funny, Mary…" he made a quiet chuckle.

"Uh Oh…" Magdalene thought as she rushed three shelves in front of her. She leaned against some books and there decided to look if there were other books that she can read. She turned around and looked at them.

"No, no…" she traveled across the shelf till something caught her eye.

"_Grimm's Fairy Tales_!" She yelled excitedly in her mind. She slid the book off the shelf to reveal a scarlet eye looking at her from the other side.

"Peek-a-boo!" Chrono laughed.

"AH!" Magdalene screamed and dropped the big book that she held, on the ground. It made a big enough echo across the huge library.

Chrono walked to the other side of the shelf, still laughing.

"Why were you hiding from me? Still afraid that'll have you for a snack?" Chrono made another chuckle.

"Nah, just like fooling around with you is all…" She made her special smile to him. Then she bent down to grab the book she'd dropped but Chrono got it before she did.

"_Grimm's Fairy Tales_...?" Chrono looked at the cover, and handed the book to Mary.

"Yeah, I just finished _Beauty and the Beast_ so I'm up to more fairy-tales."

"Soo you've read my book?" Chrono raised an eyebrow.

"That was yours? I didn't know that you've liked that kind of genre."

"I do; it's better than doing whatever everyone else is doing…" Chrono turned and walked to the tall windows in the library, which revealed a night sky and a hazy moon.

Magdalene saddened. "I don't want to help them anymore…Chrono…"

Chrono turned back slowly.

"The world that they're wanting…it's-

"I know…" Chrono mumbled. "Aion explained it all to us the other night; he's planning to turn this world into his own utopia. But I call it an apocalypse."

Magdalene stood and looked at the ground. Chrono watched her worriedly until he saw a teardrop fall onto the marble floor.

There he rushed over to embrace her.

"Don't cry..." Chrono whispered in her hair. "If they succeed doing this, I swear I'll protect you…without you I don't know if I will go on living."

"Chrono." Magdalene whimpered as she embraced him back.

"You're my life now…" Chrono whispered once more. "My life."

Chrono slowly raised his head from Magdalene's and he slowly raised his right hand and made it touch the bottom of her chin, and rose to make her look at the kind demon. His scarlet eyes softened.

His face leaned close and closer to her. She watched his eyes till they closed, there she closed her own.

Then she waited till his lips touched hers, soft and delicate like his soul.

"I love you…" Magdalene said after the kiss.

"I love you too, _Magdalene_."

~~~* * *~~~

A month passed by after that night. Chrono and Magdalene were closer than ever before, might even closer that Chrono ever than to Marie. They talked about everything that they've experienced from the day they were born, to now.

Magdalene told Chrono that she'd didn't really had a life at all, her power that God had given her took her only hope to live a life as a normal human being. Chrono then said,

"If your life was taken away, will my love replace it?"

Magdalene closed her eyes sadly, and opened them again slowly.

"Love is the only thing I can cherish now."

Before Magdalene could say anything else, Chrono embraced her tightly in his arms.

"I know it won't replace well enough as life but I will do anything to keep you smiling."

As Magdalene kept helping Shader, the night has come when the memory removal of Pandemonium was at ninety-nine percent.

Happy that everyone was that night, the Sinners threw a party that night as a celebration.

…But the happiness for them ended too quickly.

Pandemonium's head had become alive again, and had mostly remade its body. Other than that it was destroying the beautiful castle of Eden that Shader had built, it was making chaos to everything in it's path.

"I'll stop it!" Mary yelled as she pushed Chrono aside in his demon self. He tried to grab one of her arms to make her stop, but it was too late.

She stood, and held one of her hands out to make her holy power stop the chaos that Pandemonium was doing. But Pandemonium's power was far greater than hers.

"W-What!?" Magdalene reacted when a powerful force was entering her.

"Her voice?! I-It's entering me!" She surprisingly thought.

"AHHHH!!!" She screamed.

"MARY!!!" Chrono dashed and grabbed Pandemonium's neck, trying to make it stop causing pain to Magdalene. Aion rushed close to Chrono, also in his demon self.

"What are you doing just standing there!? Don't think! Just kill it!" He commanded.

Chrono yelled as he and Aion both destroyed the body. Blood danced around them like petals as Pandemonium fell to pieces on the ruined floor.

As soon that was over, Chrono rushed over to Magdalene that she was collapsed on the ground. He held her in his arms.

"Magdalene, you had me worried! Why did you do that!?" He asked roughly.

"Because…I don't want to lose you." She said softly. Then she was out exhausted.


End file.
